


Welcome to Cyber Vale - REDUX

by AughtPunk



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, And Robots are AWESOME, Cecil and Kevin are Robots, Kevin and Cecil are brothers, M/M, beep boop, freedomconvicted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-05
Updated: 2015-12-06
Packaged: 2018-01-02 20:51:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 24,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1061495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AughtPunk/pseuds/AughtPunk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carlos is a scientist who has been called in to assist with C.E.C.I.L, an A.I. that runs the artificial planet known as the Vale Colony. However, none of his superiors bothered to inform him that the A.I. appears to be completely insane. And prone to falling in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome to Cyber Vale - Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

  * For [freedomconvicted](https://archiveofourown.org/users/freedomconvicted/gifts).



> Please see [My Tumblr](http://aughtpunk.tumblr.com/post/165773917501/hey-wheres-welcome-to-cyber-vale) for more information about What Happened to Cyber Vale!

Carlos knew he should be happy.

Thrilled, even! He had submitted the application to the Vale Colony on a whim, not expecting a reply back. Needless to say he was shocked to get a call back the next day. He was also happily surprised when they gave him the job with only a brief interview. But now, as he rode the freight elevator down to the core of the man-made planet, he was starting to worry. No, that wasn't the right word. Panic! Yes. Carlos was starting to panic. Not even a full hour into his new job and he was going to vomit on his superior. Great.

"Relax, dear. It's just a few minutes more."

A wrinkled hand placed on top of his shook Carlos from his thoughts. He hadn't been aware of how tight his hands had been clenched until the old woman pulled her hand away. Carlos closed his eyes and tried to focus on his breathing. He just had to pretend that he wasn't in a cramped room with no way out. No, he was in the middle of a space colony nearly the size of the moon that hung over his home planet. There was plenty of air and space on the outside and on the inside. Carlos wasn't going to let some silly little fear about running out of oxygen on this artificial world get in a way of his career. "S-Sorry." He stammered out, "Never was good with small spaces."

"Oh dear." The old woman's smile only grew. "I hope the shuttle here wasn't so bad. It was a nightmare making the journey back when I was a little girl. Of course, that was a lifetime ago, back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. If you wish, we can take a nice little breather so you can get your nerves back."

"That won't be necessary, Dr. Sullivan-"

"Please, call me Josie. We try to be casual down here in the core."

"Right." Carlos nodded to himself. "Josie."

"Though, some of the younger lab techs call me “Old Woman Josie”."

"I see."

"And that rather nasty old woman working down in the cryogenics lab tends to call me a few other sorts of names that I don't dare repeat to a nice boy like you."

For a moment Carlos wondered if he should mention that he was thirty-five. He also wondered if he should ask about the three large, thin metallic figures taking up most of the freight elevator. Two stood by Josie's side and another at her back, all filled with liquids and odd beeping machines. Each of them connected to the old woman at several points along her body by a series of tubes and wires. No one else at the docking station seemed to pay any attention to them. Honestly, he was starting to wonder if he was the only person who could see them.

"Mm-hmm." He acknowledged, trying to look away from the silent figures. The black one in the back was staring at him. Again.

"She was always a rude one, that Josephine. Such a foul mouthed old cu-Ah! Here we are!"

Carlos exhaled as the elevator doors opened. Light poured in, nearly blinding him as he stepped out and into the thankfully larger room. Much larger, he noted as his eyes adjusted. They stood right on the edge of a large, domed area. A false blue sky was high above them and trees dotted the grassy floor. His body relaxed as he felt his mind untwist itself, letting his anxieties vanish in the false sunlight. He closed his eyes and for a moment, he was back on Earth.

"I thought you might like it here." Josie said after a moment, still in the elevator. "At least until you get your bearings back. I know it's always bit of a shock for you Earthlings. Technically this area is for botany experiments but, well, John doesn't mind if people come down here for their breaks. Something to keep in mind."

"Thank you." Carlos opened his eyes once more and took a deep breath. "Thank you, Josie."

There was that glowing smile on the old woman again. "Think nothing of it, dear. Now let's head on over to the cafeteria. Our section should be on their lunch break by now, and it'll be for the best if we introduce you to everyone at once."

"Lunch?" Carlos glanced down at his antique wrist watch. "It's almost midnight."

"Still on Earth time?" She beckoned Carlos back into the painfully small elevator. "Don't worry, a few days and you'll be a night owl like the rest of us."

Carlos took one more deep breath before he risked walking back inside.

"Oh? Carlos?" Josie said as the doors shut once again. "What sort of music do you enjoy?"

"A little bit of everything, I guess. Why?"

"No reason, dear. No reason at all."

***

The cafeteria was white. The hallways were white. Everything was white. The labcoat he was handed when they exited the elevator was white. The only splashes of color were from the small, violet glass spheres dotting the walls every ten feet or so. He would get used to it, Josie had told him. Apparently part of receiving proper funding was to design the inner workings of the colony to resemble a cheesy turn of the century scifi. It was a miracle, the old woman had also mentioned, that they didn't demand that everyone make beep-boop noises as they worked.

She still didn't say who was doing the funding. No one did. Carlos had assumed it was the government at first, but the colony was far too complicated for that. Over the years it had turned from a dream to a full-fledged man-made planet supporting millions, if not billions of people. And after all, looking at all the food his new coworkers were eating it seemed unlikely. The government would never pay for food that looked that good. Not if his old state-approved school lunches were anything to go by.

"Everyone! Everyone, please listen!"

The large room was empty, save for the three tables next to them. Every seat was taken by a hunched-over scientist, eagerly trying to get as much food in their mouths as fast as possible. They were a diverse group, obviously hand picked from every corner of the galaxy. Some older, some younger, but they all had the same tired air of lab workers that Carlos had seen throughout his career. The collection of scientists paused mid-chew and glanced up at Josie and Carlos. Most of which then went right back to eating.

"This," Josie said, her voice high and polite. "Is Carlos. He's starting today."

A few muffled greetings. A burp came somewhere from the table to the right. Carlos gave a small, nervous wave to the group.

"He's going to be my replacement."

Carlos noted that those words got a slightly larger reaction. A few spoons were dropped. A young woman near the front started coughing, but was saved by a large slap on the back. They were all staring at him now. He could have sworn they looked worried. No, not exactly worried. Josie continued, as if she hadn't noticed the odd pause.

"Well, he's really here to assist with the Wireless Project. But I have faith in Carlos and I hope you help him settle in here. He's from Earth, after all, and I know the colony can be a bit confusing sometimes. Yes, Simone?"

An older woman moved her hands quickly in front of her face. Carlos recognized that it was sign language, but the gestures were lost to him. Thankfully, Josie leaned up a little to whisper in his ear. "She wants to know if you brought any music with you."

"Oh? Um-" Carlos was slightly taken aback. "A few petabytes, I guess? I have a little bit of everything."

The scientists relaxed a little. Music, Carlos noted, seemed to be rather important here. The general mummers were broken by a loud, forced throat clearing from the side table. The source of it was a man that had a face Carlos could only describe as 'punchable'. "And does he know about all of the other replacements,  _Josie_?" The man sneered. Oh yes, he was going to have to punch this guy in the future. He could feel it.

"Carlos has been informed of the high turnover rate,  _Steve_." Josie said, stressing the man's name. "But we can't have that stop us. Our Voice needs a caretaker. His brother already has one after all."

"Voice?" Carlos asked no one in particular. Sadly, no one seemed to notice his question. Steve settled back in his chair, angrily stabbing away at his peas.

"Anyway!" Josie clapped her hands together, causing the wires and tubes connected to her to sway. "Tomorrow we restart the Wireless Project, and we won't have to worry about that sort of thing anymore. Care to say a few words, Carlos, to mark the occasion?" Josie gave him a small nudge.

"Oh? Oh. Yes." He cleared his throat. "It's nice to meet you all. The um, Vale Colony has always been a source of fascination to me and I'm proud to be able to work here." And slightly terrified, he added silently. "This is possibly the most scientifically interesting colony in the Sol System, and I hope to work alongside you for many years to come."

Carlos' brand new coworkers stared at him.

Carlos smiled back.

A small mummer spread across the tables. No, Carlos realized. Not a mummer. Giggles. Chuckles. A few lips were bit down on. Steve covered his mouth and glanced up at one of the violet spheres above. He felt his stomach sink as a flood of High School memories overtook him. He could travel halfway across the system and he was still terrible at talking in front of a group. Some potential leader he was.

"Carlos, dear?" Josie said in a whisper. "Did you get the proper emergency channel calibration when you arrived here?"

"Er, no?" Carlos' voice and stomach sunk lower. One of the older men in the back was out right laughing now.

"Oh dear. Well. Probably for the best if you didn't hear that last announcement just now. Come on, let's go down to the lab and finish the introductions. And don't worry, sweetie, they're not laughing at you."

"Thanks." He shuffled out, hoping that they were all too busy laughing to notice his red face. Hell, he could have sworn he heard one of them cackling about his hair.

***

"Are you ready, dear?"

The trip to the lab was long enough for Carlos' nerves to calm down again. So what if he almost tossed up on this sweet old woman? So what if his coworkers are a bunch of braying jackasses? He was a scientist! The top of his field! This was the moment he had spent his whole life working towards. The big project he had been waiting for so he could prove himself to the scientific community! He just had to work up the nerve to open the door, that's all.

"Oh! Wait just a moment!"

Carlos' hand hung over the wall panel, secretly glad for the delay. Josie touched one of the metal figures she was hooked to, opening a panel up on its side.

"Since you're implants aren't configured correctly yet you'll need one of these to hear him." She pulled out a small metal clip and offered it to Carlos. "Just clip it somewhere on your ear. It'll pinch a bit, but it'll do until Dana fixes you up."

Carlos took the metal clip from her hand and did as instructed. He could feel the metal dig into his earlobe, but the wave of music that floated through him was a nice distraction from the pain. The sounds were soft and sweet, singing a melody he had never heard before. Josie smiled as she nodded her head along to the music.

"Nice, isn't it?" She said with a faint sigh in her voice. "He does love to play DJ. And the way I see it, he's the one in charge of the emergency channels anyway, so why not let him do something that makes him happy? Oh! Make sure you mention your music collection when you introduce yourself. He's a sucker for new songs."

"Now." Carlos took a deep breath. There had been something bothering him in the back of his mind, and he better say it before the music drowned it out. "When you say 'he' you are speaking of the planet's AI, correct? The one I'm here to work on?"

"Oh yes!"

"The one that everyone calls the Voice. The one that, apparently, needs a caretaker?"

Josie smiled and nodded. "He's a good boy, but he does need someone to keep an eye on him."

"Stop saying that!" Carlos' words poured out of him. "Artificial Intelligence should never be refereed to with a gender or as an individual. I wouldn't trust a simple home unit to be given a taste of sentience, nevertheless an A.I. that's in charge of keeping an entire ecosystem and billions of lives in check. As soon as it develops a true sense of self we're all in trouble. What if it decides it’s bored? What if it decides it doesn't want to take care of a planet anymore? The Central Environmental Control of Infinite Life is-"

"Cecil."

The name was enough for Carlos' words to die on his lips. Josie no longer sounded like a sweet, little old lady. Her voice was dark and echoed as if she were twenty feet tall. She looked up at him with the same disappointed face his grandmother would wear.

"His name is Cecil." She said. "He is a wonderful, bright young man who loves this colony and its people more than you could ever know. He's been trapped in that room since the day he was born and all he wants is the ability to see the world with his own eyes. And, considering that this is the third time he's looped this song, I do think he's waiting for you."

The darkness around Josie vanished as she gave Carlos a small pat on the arm. "Good luck, sweetie."

"Thanks." Carlos gulped. He pressed his hand against the wall panel, causing the door to the lab to snap open. He stepped inside, unsure of what to do next. Normally a proper AI introduction was a far more formal affair. One filled with proper introductions and exchanged passwords. Not one of angry old ladies and laughing scientists. So he was slightly relieved when he walked and found the lab devoid of life. He looked back at Josie, who only nodded.

The large room was domed shaped with computers and desks around the edges. The walls were covered with screens all showing various sections of the colony inside and out. What caught his attention, however, was the large white sphere that hung heavy from the ceiling. Without even a whisper the sphere opened, as if it were a flower blooming in the early morning light. Inside the sphere was a mass of wires with hints of violet throughout. Carlos moved closer, hoping to get a better view.

As the wires descended, Carlos could see a humanoid shape nestled within them. The figure stretched out, its long legs and arms moving through the wires like water. It lowered itself in front of Carlos yet remained hovering in the air, suspended by the wires. Its body was covered in purple and silver plating, its head completely featureless save for three violet lenses. On it's forehead a light flickered on as it took the shape of a closed eye. The featureless face moved down until it was eye level with Carlos and focused its three lenses onto him.

He could see the name C.E.C.I.L. printed on the robot's shoulder, telling him all that he needed to know.

"H-Hello?" Carlos cleared his throat. "My name is-"

**_CARLOS!_ **

The Voice screamed in his mind.

 ** _Night Crew of the Vale Colony! I am happy to announce that Carlos, yes, perfect Carlos is in the main laboratory at this very moment! Mere words cannot describe the man who stands before me, but since it is my duty to bring you the news I shall begin the eternal struggle against my own limited vocabulary._**

The Voice was everywhere. The sounds echoed through Carlos' body, rattling his teeth and digging under his skin. He tried to step back, but Cecil simply circled around him.

**_He is possibly even more perfect than my security cameras suggested earlier. I can detect no faults upon his person and a very invasive background check only brings up a series of parking tickets from fifteen or so odd years ago. Such perfection must be a result of generations of research, you might say! But you and I know that all genetic manipulation was outlawed decades ago and all experts in the field quietly silenced in the night by shadow agents of a vague yet menacing government agency. Assuming said agents simply didn't claim the experts for their own nefarious purposes._ ** ****

Carlos pulled the metal clip off his ear and the Voice went silent. Cecil still circled around him, his hands wildly moving along with his now silenced words. He carefully placed the clip back on his ear, this time further away from his cybernetic implant.

 ** _-through his hair! Even his premature patches of silver call out to be loving brushed by my eager fingers. How I wish I could tell him this_** ,  ** _dear Night Crew! But according to my very, very invasive background check he has not updated his internal cybernetics since he left his home planet. I ask that those with more traditional means to please remind him to update as soon as he can so he may receive my broadcast. If Dana is unavailable for the update please make sure he is given a guest receiver as soon as possible. Much like the one that is clipped on...his...ear._**

The room went silent. With a sharp snap the wires pulled Cecil back up into the ceiling and the sphere closed around him. For a moment Carlos debated leaving until the metallic flower blossomed and Cecil lowered back down into the room once more. Cecil reached out, offering Carlos a hand.

 ** _Greetings! I am_** _**The Central Environmental Control of Infinite Life, or simply Cecil for short. I am in charge of maintaining life support and the general safety of the Vale Colony**_.  ** _I also give daily reports using the emergency broadcast channel when it is not_** _**in use, and assist with scientific research any way I can. Dr. Sullivan has already given me an outline about the Wireless Project, and I look forward to working alongside you for the duration of your stay.**_

Carlos looked down at the metallic hand. He should run. Get on the first shuttle off the colony and never look back. Anything was better than trying to help an A.I. which was clearly insane. That was somehow already infatuated with him. That was possibly the most scientifically interesting A.I. in the entire system. That should be studied closely and made the source of a thesis. Or three. That thought alone made the entire day worth it.

He smiled as he shook the robot's hand, and he was almost certain he heard Cecil whimper out of pure happiness.


	2. Welcome to Cyber Vale - Chapter Two

_Subject C.E.C.I.L. is_

Carlos' fingers paused on his laptop's keys. The device may have been old fashioned, but it was a labor of love. He had put it together as a hobby in college and it had saved his hide (and multiple reports) over the years. No one ever bothered to create a virus that worked on technology that old at this point. He also suspected it was possibly the only device on the Vale Colony that Cecil couldn't get into. C.E.C.I.L., he reminded himself. No matter what his coworkers told him, he was going to force himself to mentally insert every single one of those periods.

 _Subject C.E.C.I.L. is eager to begin the Wireless Project, and has offered its assistance. When informed that all it needed to do was hold still and test systems when told to, it asked if this was a 'real science experiment'. It then went on to mention that it was very interested in science and was more than happy to order any flasks, beakers, or_ _hunched back assistants._ _I am unable to tell if the subject is versed in sarcasm, or simply doesn't understand what science actually is._

Carlos paused long enough to take a bite from his chicken wrap. He had only been at the colony a week and he had already given up on eating lunch with his coworkers. Not that there was anything wrong with the Night Crew. They just had a slight habit of saying Carlos' name in the same sing-song voice that C.E.C.I.L. used. So he elected to eat his meals in his cramped living quarters that the still slightly mysterious company running the colony had supplied him. The only annoying part was the purple sphere on the wall watching his every move. However, that was easily solved by hanging his lab coat over it.

 _There is little to no_   _informative documents on the creation of C.E.C.I.L. or its mobile companion K.E.V.I.N. in the official archives._   _From what I've been able to piece together_   _the subject was activated by the late Dr. Palmer the same year construction on the colony was complete. I am unable to find_   _neither any of her research or documentation on C.E.C.I.L._   _or on Dr. Palmer herself. When I asked C.E.C.I.L. directly about its creator, it simply tried to avoid the subject by attempting to change the topic over to my own upbringing._   _I will continue searching for Dr. Palmer's research in order to find out why she decided to give C.E.C.I.L. a robotic body in the first place. Not only was it an unnecessary feature, but_   _itcould very possibly be the source of_   _C.E.C.I.L._ 's  _budding sentience._

That was the most baffling part of the A.I. honestly. Which was impressive, considering everything else he had experienced with the machine for the past week. Carlos had interacted with plenty of A.I. units before in the past, and all of which had been physically bound to their networks. Sure, there were a few like K.E.V.I.N. who were mobile for their job requirements. But those were never the core units in charge of the main systems. The fact that someone had bothered to do that with the very heart of the Vale Colony was a bit unusual, if not potentially dangerous.

 _The subject's sentience is already far above allowed upper limits._   _Basic observation points at the main cause being the night crew's unfortunate habit of humoring C.E.C.I.L.'s desires. Not also do they refer to it as if it was a human male, but they have given it free reign over the emergency channels. I have recommended to my superior that all laboratory workers be submitted for a standard re-education of basic A.I. integrations. My superior has yet to return an official response to my request. She did give an unofficial response informing me that I worry too much and that I should give C.E.C.I.L. a chance._

Carlos tapped his fingers against the laptop's edge a moment before he deleted that last line. Just because everyone else in the colony was casual, didn't mean his reports had to be. For a moment his gaze lingered on the small metal clip next to his now cold coffee. He glanced over at the wall to confirm that his lab coat still hung over the violet sphere. With a small sigh he carefully attached the clip to his ear. A deep, musical voice trickled into the back of his mind as if it belonged there.

**_-pizza_ ** **** _**Friday** **will be sadly canceled until a wheat shipment can be brought in from Earth. John Peter, you know, the botanist, will be working day and night with his team to find out what caused the widespread crop failure. So if you see a lab worker with a happy little tree on their lapel be sure to thank them for their hard work! Just be sure to**_ **** _**do so from at least fifty yards away, as no one has been able to determine if whatever killed off the wheat crop is contagious.**_

**_In other news, I would like to remind all Night Crew workers to please keep my eyes uncovered at all times. I realize that some of you might feel uncomfortable knowing that my unblinking gaze is upon them every moment. But it is for your own safety, my dear Night Crew! Think of me not as a spy, or a peeping Tom! Think of me more like an angel watching over your shoulder keeping you safe and your heartbeat monitored._ ** **** _**But between you and me, Night Crew, I must admit it's nice to have one of my eyes covered**_ **** _**by the still warm lab coat of wonderful, perfect Car-**_

Carlos removed the clip from his ear fast enough that it took a small chunk of skin with it. With a curse on his breath he stemmed the blood with a handful of napkins. With his hand firmly pressed against his bleeding ear he walked over to the makeshift coat rack and removed his lab coat. Deep within the violet sphere he could see a small camera turn his way. The aperture flexed once before quickly turning away to study Carlos' bathroom door. Almost. Carlos thought, like a schoolboy blushing after catching the eye of someone he liked. Carlos slowly returned to his laptop only to be greeted by the blinking cursor. He leaned down and pecked a sentence out on the keyboard with his one free hand.

_Further study of C.E.C.I.L. may require some assistance._

_***_

Dana's office was harder to find than Carlos expected. This was partly because it was less of an office and more of the crawlspace under the main lab proper. It took at least a good half an hour to navigate the near endless rows of servers and heat sinks to find what the rest of the Night Crew lovingly referred to as her nest. Wires and machines had been pushed aside to allow for a desk and a few other odds and ends. In the middle hung one of the many violet eyes of C.E.C.I.L., this one larger than the others. Dana's back was to Carlos and her attention was fully on the glass sphere itself.

"I know right?" Dana laughed to the empty air. "So I told my brother that if he likes that Tamika girl so much, then he should invite her over to his Halloween party! But I guess he's still in his 'cootie' phase 'cause he just made the weirdest face at my suggestion. Like he was scared or something! Guess Grandma's the only good matchmaker in the family. I mean, you're one to know, right?" She paused, only to laugh again. "Shut up! She totally did it on purpose and you know-what? Oh? Oh!"

Dana turned and grinned at Carlos. He never was good at guessing people's ages, but he had a feeling that she might have been a bit too young to work there. "Well, well, well! If it isn't  _Carlos!_ " She sang, adding a few extra vowels to his name. "What brings you down to the rat's nest? Finally here for your calibration?" She did her best to nudge the violet sphere with her elbow only to completely miss. "See. Told you not to worry." She added quietly to the air itself.

"Actually", Carlos cleared his throat. "I was hoping to speak to you privately."

"Hmm? Oh! Oh wow. Um." Dana glanced back at the sphere. "Carlos, I'm flattered but I sorta got this thing going on with Leann. And you're like, almost my Dad's age. And a man. But hey, there's plenty of fish in the sea, right? Or colony. Lots of fish in the colony."

"What? I'm not," Carlos pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm here for professional reasons, Dana. I'm not trying to ask you out."

" _But_ you are okay with asking male coworkers out, right? Even if there's a large age distance between you? I'm asking for a friend."

Once again the thought of escape flitted through his mind. But that tended to happen at least once during his sessions with C.E.C.I.L., so it was getting easier to ignore. Scientific acclaim is never handed out to those who run on a whim. Even though, he reminded himself, that sometimes such honor was handed out post-humorously. With a deep breath he swallowed his nerves and gave Dana a smile.

"I wished to discuss C.E.C.I.L. with you, actually."

Dana's expression froze just a second before her smile returned. "For your calibration with his emergency channel!"

"That's not-"

"Don't worry, Carlos!" Dana marched over to him, grabbed his elbow, and dragged him towards the small desk. "I'm an expert at this sort of thing. I could probably connect you with a string and two cups if needed!" She picked up the only pen, Carlos noted, he had seen all week and scribbled a line across the only paper he had seen as well. He tilted his head slightly only to realize the odd connected loops were words.

_Cecil can't read script._

"I see." Carlos nodded, suddenly thankful for his grandmother's insistence for an old-fashioned education. "Well, I have heard that Earth is a bit behind when it comes to cybernetic implants. I'm just worried that I might not be compatible and I'd rather not have the surgery done again. My brain has been poked enough for one lifetime." He plucked the pen from Dana's hand and wrote under her words in a slightly more sloppy fashion.

_Is it possible to be calibrated without C.E.C.I.L. knowing about it?_

Dana's cheek twitched as Carlos took the time to properly write out C.E.C.I.L.'s name. "Worse comes to worse you can always just use a guest clip." She bit her lip a moment before she tore the pen away from Carlos. "Of course, it's not very practical if you plan to stay here for the long run. I see it's already taken a chunk of your ear. Nasty little biters." The pen moved quickly across the paper in short bursts.

_Dog park._

_Black door._

_Tonight after work._

Carlos nodded. "I was hired to stay for the length of the Wireless Project." He took the pen again, this time writing his words carefully. "However, depending on my findings I may request to stay here longer to continue my research. Perhaps a permanent relocation if needed. I have a feeling that C.E.C.I.L. may take longer to study than most A.I.s."

_Did C.E.C.I.L. really ask if I like older men?_

Dana looked him square in the eye and nodded.

"Much longer." Deep breathes. That's what his old therapist used to say. Just take three deep filling breathes and focus on anything but the feeling of his stomach turning inside-out. He returned the nod and Dana's pen. "Well, I better return to my station. We can discuss my calibration later if my job will require it."

"It's totally worth it just for the muzak." Dana said with a smile as she wandered back to C.E.C.I.L.'s eye. "Today's forecast is accordion-electronica."

 "That's...great. I'm sure." With a small forced smile Carlos turned and left, fighting his way back through the labyrinth of wires and machines. He could still hear Dana's voice echo behind him, happy and hopeful as always.

"...he's just shy. And totally into older guys, I can tell!"

***

Carlos wasn't sure what he was expecting when he opened the doors marked 'Dog Park'. Maybe Dogs? Certainly a park. But as his eyes adjusted to the gloom inside he realized that the location was severely lacking both. The room was similar to the botanists' room with its high walls and unnatural sunlight. But here the dirt floor was cracked and barren. Dead trees dotted the miniature wasteland; their only company a few bare bushes and a handful of wilted flowers. The only color in the whole room came from a single sign in the middle with C.E.C.I.L.'s closed eye painted across its top. The sign cheerfully announced that the park was under construction, and listed a date from a good five years back.

He reached out and traced the eye with his finger. Dust covered just like all of the machinery and tools surrounding the optimistic sign. Yet the air itself was fresh as the rest of the colony. His gaze wandered to the far corner of the abandoned room. There, half-hidden behind a stack of bricks was the black door he was looking for. Leading up to it was a well-worn path made out of multiple footprints. For a place as desolate as it was the path sure looked well traveled. There may have even been someone else there at that very moment. A thought that Carlos wished he had thought a few seconds before he did. Maybe before the arm wrapped around his throat.

"Don't. Move."

A harsh voice whispered into Carlos' ear as the arm tightened. He could feel his lungs try to hold onto what was left of his breath.

"Were you followed? Did anyone see you come in here? Did  _he_ see you?"

Wait. Carlos knew that voice. That irritated, nagging voice reminding him to take a handful of health pamphlets before leaving the doctor's office. One that he knew very well.

"S-Steve?" Carlos choked out. He was being strangled by the Night Crew's head physician. Lovely.

" _Did he see you come in here?"_

"STEVE!" Dana's voice echoed through the abandoned room. Carlos caught a quick glimpse of her hand as she pulled Steve's arms away to free him. He staggered away to force air back into his lungs as quickly as his body would allow. Once again Dana's rang out with the help of the park's acoustics. "Steve, what the HELL are you doing?! I invited him down here! Why did you jump him?! What the HELL is wrong with you?! Do you know what'll happen if someone saw you hurt Carlos? If HE saw you?"

"Do you know, Miss Sullivan, what will happen if anyone catches us down here? How much trouble we'll all be in?" Steve hissed back. "Or God forbid if that crazed maniac decides to see where his dear little scientist is-"

Carlos felt his arm swing out before he even knew what he was doing. There was a small sliver of pleasure in cutting Steve off by a rather impressive right-hook to the jaw. The older man crumpled to the dirt floor and landed with a satisfying thump. Carlos cracked his knuckles dramatically as possible. "I've wanted to do that since my last check-up."

"You and everyone else in the colony." Dana smiled. "Sorry about that. He's a good doctor, but a bit of a paranoid bastard. Don't take it personal."

"He tried to choke me to death."

"It wasn't to death!" Steve groaned from the floor. Dana rolled her eyes as she helped Steve up to his feet. "Forgive me, Carlos. We can't just let anyone into the Dog Park. Or let certain people find out about it." He rubbed his jaw. "Not bad. You box?"

"A bit in college. Normally I'm not a violent man, but there was that whole  _choking me to death_." Carlos cleared his throat. "So. Is someone going to tell me what's going on, or should I punch Steve again?"

"Ooo! Again, again! Get him back for my measles shot!"

A sharp tap from the side caught the three's attention. The black door was open with Simone standing in the doorway. Once again her hands danced as she spoke in a language Carlos still couldn't understand. Though, he suspected that the movement of her brushing her fingers dramatically through her hair was his name. Steve nodded. "She's right. Come on, let's show you the Dog Park proper. Unless you wish to violently lash out again."

On the other side of the black door was the sort of club house Carlos would have dreamed of as a child. It must have been a storage closet at some time but had been taken over by crates and furniture. Dana jumped on an old couch the second she walked into the door, trying to stretch out as much as possible. "Welcome, Carlos!" She said with her normal grin. "To the Night Crew's secret hide out! There's booze, snacks, unmonitored computers, and a comfy couch to nap on. Oh, there are cookies too, but we're planning on using that to barter with the Day Crew. Rumor has it they still have some pasta stocked up."

"Huh." Carlos looked around the small room. Simone had already taken her place at one of the computers. Steve was elbows-deep in the mini-fridge to rescue a few choice bottles from the back. He tossed one to Carlos, who managed to catch it despite all the odds. "Not bad. But why here? Isn't it a bit cramped?

Simone drew a half-circle on her forehead.

 "C.E.C.I.L.? What about-" Carlos froze mid-word. He spun around, confirming his suspicion. "There are no eyes in here."

"Bingo." Steve said with a small smile. He opened his own bottle against one of the crates. "None in the park, either. Don't know if they forgot or if construction just never got to that point. This is the only place inside the colony where we don't have that raving lunatic watching our every move. Which is why we have to be careful on whom we let in. One wrong whisper and this place will be head to toe in glass spheres."

"Cecil's not crazy." Dana muttered as she sat up. "He's just...unique. Special."

"He's dangerous. But I suppose Carlos here can tell us all about it. That's why you were brought to the colony, were you not?"

Carlos smiled a little. "Well, yes. Though, I am technically here only to assist with the Wireless Project. Such a delicate procedure needs an expert in A.I. programming to insure that data integrity is maintained. The fact that I have the chance to study a fringe A.I. such as C.E.C.I.L. is merely a bonus. The thesis I'll create from my experience with him will be worth it alone."

"Hmph." Dana frowned. "Cecil's heart would break if he heard you say that, Carlos."

"It's a program. It doesn't have a heart." Steve said.

"It does." Carlos sat down next to Dana. "C.E.C.I.L. has a heart, a brain, and a disturbingly high sentience. But that's what makes it so dangerous. Unlike most of humanity there is nothing holding an A.I. back from exploring their darker thoughts once it gains sentience. Morals just become another option they can turn off with a touch of a button. Once that happens there's no stopping them. You can't punish them. You can't jail them. At worst you could delete them, but there's always the chance of emergency back-up copies. There have been murders, abuse, and worse all from programs that were in charge of vessels one tenth of the size of this colony. I've seen it with my own two eyes. So don't worry, Steve. I know exactly what C.E.C.I.L. is capable of."

"He." Dana said, finding her voice. "Cecil is a he. And stop saying his name like that, it's weird! And, and he'd never go all evil! Cecil's the sweetest guy who's ever lived! He watches cat videos for Pete's sake!"

"Carlos has a point, Dana." Steve nodded. "We have an experimental, unpredictable A.I. in charge of the lives of millions. I would prefer if we simply started from scratch, but sadly, no one seems to agree with me. But I suppose a therapist for our madman wouldn't hurt any."

"I'm not exactly a therapist." Carlos said. "Just an A.I. programmer that specializes in dealing with programs that have gone past, far past the recommended deviations."

"So, a therapist." Dana shrugged. "Anyway, why do you want to be calibrated all secret-like?"

"C.E.C.I.L. acts differently when it knows I'm listening. If I can somehow listen to its 'emergency channel' without it knowing I'll be able to study its behavior better."

"Can do!" Dana smiled as she pulled out a complicated looking screwdriver. "Hold still. Oh, and this is going to hurt. Like, a lot."

Simone leaned back in her chair. Carlos caught his name, a full circle on her forehead, and what he safely assumed to be the sign for crazy. Steve let out a snort. "Not our problem, Simone."

"What did she say?" Carlos said as he uneasily eyed the screwdriver.

"Let's just say the Day Crew's own robot isn't as lucid as Cecil. But the corporation swears they have their own scientist working on him so-" Steve shrugged and downed most of his beer in one go.

"Own robot? You mean K.E.V.I.N.? I haven't seen it yet."

"Kev's Day Crew." Dana said as the tip of the screwdriver began to spin. "And he's creepy. Not like, creepy abandoned building creepy. Like...it's like the shows my little brother used to watch when he was a baby. How everything was always so sunny and bright and all of the characters would smile all of the time. Even if everything was wrong and terrible they'd just, just  _smile._  He's like that."

"Interesting. I suppose a mobile unit would have different programming compared to C.E.C.I.L.'s. Hopefully I'll get a chance to meet it before I leave."

"Don't." Dana pressed the screwdriver against the back of Carlos' head and the world around him exploded in pain.


	3. Welcome to Cyber Vale - Chapter One

Routine, Carlos mused, was addicting.

 The body craved it. The mind settled into it. And the older he got the more he desired it. Every morning Carlos woke up to the smell of his coffeemaker brewing away just before the alarm went off. He ate lunch in the cafeteria with the rest of his coworkers as they fell out of the habit of singing his name. During his free time he would go down to the Dog Park and play cards with whoever was there. Nights were spent writing reports in his room until sleep claimed him. It was a simple cycle that repeated itself for the past three months.

And then there was CECIL.

CECIL had become part of the cycle as well. Every day was spent studying the labyrinth which was CECIL's basic programming. No other A.I. Carlos had dealt with in the past could wax poetic yet remain blunt. None could report so happily about births yet so solemnly about deaths. Nothing out there could ask so many questions about the universe yet know what its limits were. Though, research did indicate that CECIL's addiction to cat videos was perfectly in line with most A.I. deviations. It was baffling, yet Carlos craved the challenge more than anything. He had already outlined several papers on the silver and violet mystery himself. Itself.

Maybe he shouldn't have stopped mentally adding the periods in CECIL's name. Then again, it did make writing his thesis a bit easier.

He was honestly a little shocked about how quickly he had gotten used to life with CECIL. Carlos no longer jumped at the sound of CECIL's announcements invading his mind. He counted on the sweet and slow background music to help him sleep, and the perky yet odd music to keep him focused during his shifts. He didn't notice the constant gaze of its purple eyes as he went about his daily routine. The Voice and the Eyes were just another part of his life now. Even if the odd A.I. did tend to sing his praises when it didn't think Carlos was listening.

 ** _And let me take a moment to congratulate Night Crew members Mr. and Mrs. Wallaby on the birth of their first child! Little Megan was brought into this world last night at_** **_3:45am_** _**at eight pounds, seven ounces. The doctors say the baby is doing fine, and they are waiting for the results of the DNA check. Now, I don't want to ruin the surprise for the parents, but I figured a little peek won't hurt. Let's just say that someone's going to be a math expert when they grown up! That same someone is going to also hate potatoes, claiming that they find the texture 'gritty'. Eh, no one's perfect.**_

Carlos continued his morning stroll towards the main lab. Every time he passed a violet eye he could hear the camera turn within it. Part of his morning routine was reminding himself that security was part of the A.I.'s duties and obviously his safety had been given high priority due to the nature of his work. So it made perfect sense for CECIL to be watching him so closely. It was a lie, but it was enough to convince his sleepy brain to ignore it. He lightly sipped at his slightly-too-hot coffee and waited for the shoe to drop.

 ** _Unlike the Night Crew's dear, dear A.I. programming expert Carlos. Who, I am sad to say, will be late for work due to Pamela 'wishing to speak with him'. Right now she is standing right by the main lab's door like a beast waiting to pounce on its unsuspecting prey. A beast that's already on its third cup of coffee, no less. So let's all wish Carlos luck as we listen to a selection from his music collection! This piece was created by playing instruments made out of wood, metal, and animal intestine._** **_It seems that_  ** **_Earth's music is just as violent and cruel as its blood-soaked past. Enjoy!_ **

Carlos stopped dead in his tracks. Ahead was the turn before the lab's doors, where apparently his supervisor was waiting. Pamela had hardly said a dozen words to him since his arrival, and most of them were just different ways of saying 'He's your problem now'. The fact that she wanted to have a real conversation for once was enough for his stomach to twist into a knot. Everyone knew that she was the reason for the high turnover rate with the Night Crew's interns. Silly him, thinking his specialty made him immune to that!

Carlos leaned against the wall a moment and did his three deep breaths. Cool air going in. Hot, nervous air going out. He shoulders slouched as the last breath of air left his lips. He looked up at the purple sphere on the opposite wall. Inside the camera gave a little nod of support. He took one more deep breath before walking around the corner and coming face to face with the door. A perfectly, normal, not blocked by his boss, door. His stomach untwisted, his nerves calmed. Maybe CECIL was wrong. Or maybe Pamela gave up waiting. Or maybe-

"Carlos."

Or maybe Carlos would remember that doors have two sides. The door to the lab snapped open to reveal his supervisor. She was a woman made of nerves and tension. Everything about her screamed high-strung, very much like a piece of wire that was ready to snap at any moment. Each of her steps echoed as she marched right up to the now paralyzed scientist. He had spent enough time at the lab to know not to make any sudden movements around her. Or eye-contact.

"Carlos, I need to speak with you about today's project."

"Mm-hmm?" He said, looking down at his coffee. Well, he wasn't fired. So far he was better off than most people who she 'talked' to.

"We're unhooking the visual component cable today, and we need you to distract Cecil for at least twenty minutes. Half an hour would be better. We will require you to be the absolute focus of his attention for that period of time. And frankly, I don't care what you do to get it. Do a little song and dance, strip for him, just get him to stop paying attention to the rest of the colony."

"Mm-hmm. No. Wait." Against his better judgment Carlos looked down at Pamela. "Why do you need him distracted for that?"

"Because,  _Carlos_ , the last time we turned off his visuals he spent a whole day convinced that the colony no longer existed! We had to get his brother to convince him otherwise! Thank God we were able to smack some damned sense into him before anyone on the outside noticed! We would have been the laughing stock of the Sol System! Or just shut down entirely! Do you know what it's like to have your central control for life support and security to have an  _existential crisis_?"

"Yes. I was on the Larkspur."

Pamela paused, dangerously close to poking Carlos in the chest. She withdrew her finger and nodded to herself. "Hmph. Your highly invasive background check didn't include that piece of information. I apologize." The tension within her body slipped away, but she remained composed. "However, that does mean I don't need to remind you how dangerous this project is. As much as I trust Cecil, I recognize he can be...unpredictable at times."

"So why not just shut him down for half an hour?"

Much to Carlos' surprise Pamela let out a noise that could only be described as a snort. "He certainly has a type, doesn't he?" She muttered to herself, obviously not caring if Carlos heard. "Half an hour, Carlos. Do whatever it takes." With that she marched back into the main lab and shut the door behind her. Even through the three inch thick iron doors he could hear her rip into an intern that wandered too close.

***

The lab was just as chaotic as he had left it the day before. Computers and monitors had been precariously set up around the white sphere high in the ceiling. Some were held with proper scaffolding while the interns had to live with a few wobbly step ladders. Carlos wondered how any of them made it to the end of their internship. Then again, sometimes he was amazed he got through those days with nothing but a few old scars and a taste for cheap food.

The white sphere had fully bloomed with the wires inside exposed to the world. The few that had been unplugged were coiled up safely while the ones still connected were pulled taut towards the ground. Carlos was certain that's why they placed him at the desk furthest from the sphere. That way no one had to worry about being tangled up by CECIL during their daily sessions together. And, as Steve was happy to point out, it meant Carlos just had to step back a foot in order to escape CECIL if needed. He would then let out that same loud, grating laugh he always made after a few beers. Sometimes Carlos wondered if he should have stopped after one punch.

Standing hunched over his desk was the robotic body of the A.I. itself. It didn't seem to notice the bustle of scientists around it, nor Carlos briskly walking closer. It certainly didn't realize that Carlos could see it poking at his laptop's ancient keyboard with a long slender finger. Even when Carlos stopped right next to it, CECIL remained focus on its task. Maybe, Carlos thought, distracting it wouldn't be so difficult after all.

"CECIL?"

CECIL looked up from Carlos' laptop. Even lacking a proper face or eyes the machine managed to look slightly guilty.  ** _Good morning, Carlos._** It said in that calm, controlled voice it used when it wasn't on the air.  ** _I hope you don't mind, but I was trying to figure out this odd piece of Earth technology! I've never seen anything like it before, but Josie said that her grandmother used to own one when she was a child! I was trying to find a place to plug in, but I was unable to find any compatible ports. Is it made from animal intestine as well?_**

"No. No, CECIL." Carlos carefully placed down his now merely hot coffee. "Not everything from Earth is made from animal parts."

**_Except some musical instruments. And your watch strap._ **

"Yes. No. That's not important." Carlos ran a protective hand over his laptop. There were a few new scratches from where he assumed CECIL tried to plug in, but besides that everything looked fine. It was his own fault for leaving it in the lab overnight instead of bringing it back to his room. But Simone did manage to smuggle in a box of cookies from the surface yesterday. And he didn't want to miss out on that event a second time. "Do you really think that Earth technology is full of intestines?"

**_It was my working hypothesis, though I suppose it sounds a bit silly now that I say it out loud. Of course Earth technology doesn't run on animals! Just imagine the mess it would make_ ** **_! Viscera all over th_ _e desks and walls, blood seeping into your shoes. It_** **_’s highly impractical for home or office. And would be prone to rust, I imagine._ **

"Uh. Huh." Carlos rubbed his eyes. This was, sadly, not the strangest conversation he'd had with CECIL so far. He allowed himself another deep breath as he sat down at his desk. The password screen on his laptop was open and covered in numerous warnings about incorrect passwords. He looked over at CECIL who had suddenly become rather interested in a spot of dirt on the ground. Over the robot's shoulder he could see one of the other scientists by the sphere wave at him. June? Judy? He never could tell the triplets apart.

"CECIL, today I want you to perform a special test for me." He said as his fingers ran across the keyboard. "I need you turn off your cameras."

 ** _Of course,_** **_Carlos_. ** The three lenses on CECIL's face closed with a faint snap.

"All of them."

**_I have been forbidden to close my eyes._ **

"Pamela has given special permission for just this once. The test does require you to have no outside visual stimulation for at least twenty to thirty minutes." Carlos adjusted his thin glasses. "The colony will still exist even if you can't see it. I promise."

The robot's chest moved just enough to mimic a deep breath. One of great mysteries of Dr. Palmer's design were those small meaningless movements which served no purpose. The longer Carlos studied CECIL the more he saw those odd human-like quirks. Sometimes it was as simple as CECIL tapping its foot along to the muzak, or as complicated as once pretending to sleep. To see what it was like, it had explained when questioned. Now it wrung its hands as the thousands of screens around them blink out one by one. In the back of his mind Carlos could have sworn he heard the echo of a faint whimper.

CECIL was scared.

Carlos reached up and held the robot's trembling hands. He could feel the oddly warm metal relax under his touch as their fingers threaded together. The room went dark save for the faint glow of the intern's monitors against the white sphere above. CECIL's silver and violet body reflected the false moon's soft light. After the last screen turned off Carlos went to pull his hand away only to find it locked firmly into place.

"CECIL? Could you let go? Please?"

**_Must I?_ **

Carlos sighed. "I kind of need to take notes, CECIL."

 ** _Fine. But if I am engulfed by the endless void that surrounds the Colony then it's your fault._** CECIL let go of Carlos' hand only to firmly wrap its arm around itself.  ** _Can we please get this test over with?_**   ** _Soon?_**

"Don't worry, it's an easy one." Carlos turned his attention back to his beat up laptop. "I need you to tell me a story."

**_Oh? Well then! That's-_ **

"And I need you to do it without referring to any saved visual or audio data or based on any crew member information in your databanks."

**_You want me to make something up?_ **

"Mm-hmm."

**_You want me to lie._ **

Carlos smiled to himself. This was always his favorite test to run on deviant A.I.s simply due to the fact that it was impossible. Even a fully functional A.I. wouldn't have the means to create a story from nothing, so it was always interesting to see how they would deal with his order. His favorite was the Korean A.I. that ended up spilling the beans of every single secret relationship it knew about. Or the one that spent a good hour going over what it thought of Carlos' test and all the places he could put it. He was simply dying to know how CECIL would react.

"Just tell me a story, CECIL. It can be about anything you want as long as it follows the guidelines."

**_Anything?_ **

"Anything."

 ** _Well then!_** There was an amused tone in CECIL's voice as it spoke.  ** _I want to tell a story about you._**

"I said it couldn't be based on any crew members."

 ** _You have misheard me._** Carlos looked up just as CECIL lowered its head. The silver mask was mere inches away, and even with the three lenses closed Carlos could feel the A.I. stare right through him.

**_This is a story about_ ** **** _**You .**_

***

**_...And you were pleased, because you always wanted to hear about yourself on the radio._ **

The coffee had gone cold. Carlos' laptop had gone into sleep mode. His jaw had gone slightly slack and he didn't even realize it was open until he finally closed it. He leaned back in his chair, finally aware of how close he had scooted to the edge of the seat. The silence trailed off into the void CECIL feared so much before the A.I spoke once more.

**_How was that? Good?_ **

Carlos mouth moved but no words came out. He looked around and saw that all of the other scientists were focused on coiling up the now-removed wire. Did they hear any of that? He was pretty sure CECIL only projected its voice into his head during the sessions. But now he wished that someone else had heard the story. That anyone could vouch that they too understood what this meant. But the only person who shared the moment stood before him like a student awaiting its grades.

"Impossible." Carlos said, unable to find anything else to say. "What you did was literally impossible."

 ** _Oh?_** CECIL's voice dripped of honey.  ** _Is that good? I hope it's good. Dr. Palmer always said that I should always strive to be the best I could be. She also said that I should beware smiling Gods. She said a lot of things that didn't really make sense towards the end. Also tended to smash any mirrors she came across. Is that normal? I've always meant to ask._**

CECIL was finally talking about its creator. Carlos knew he should write this down before the A.I. changed its mind. Or ask any of the questions that had been bothering him for the past three months. Anything, besides sitting there staring slacked-jawed at a program that went against all of his training and experience. He stood up and closed his laptop with a faint click.

"That's enough for today, CECIL. You can open your eyes again."

Carlos shielded his eyes just as the thousands of screens lining the dome's walls turned on at once. CECIL's three lenses opened once more, each one shining as bright as the closed eye symbol on its chest. Even though its faceplate was blank as always Carlos knew it was smiling. It lifted itself into the air by its wires, only to pull up a little slower than normal.

 ** _Oh? Oh!_** CECIL let out a surprised yet happy noise.  ** _One of my wires was removed and I didn't even notice! Or die from it! Isn't that wonderful, Carlos?_**

Carlos made a faint noise of agreement. Good God, he was going to have to spend the rest of the night writing about the past half hour alone. And the research! There had to be information about a similar occurrence somewhere! Information about the Colony's beginnings, or Dr. Palmer or, or anything! Maybe if he ran to his room he'd be able to put in a good sixteen hours before passing out.

**_Perhaps we should celebrate?_ **

Carlos felt a little bad for leaving so early, but Pamela would understand. Wait, could he tell Pamela? Maybe Josie. He had to tell someone about this. Someone needed to know that CECIL could lie. Not just by avoiding the truth like other A.I.s have done in the past. Full blown lies. If it weren't for CECIL's nature they might already be dead. No, this had to go straight to the main company itself! As soon as he figured out which company that was.

**_With coffee?_ **

Carlos' brain finally caught up to his ears. He slowly turned to CECIL, who was once again nervously wringing its hands.

**_It doesn't have to be coffee. It could be tea, or water, or one of those fermented beverages that humans poison themselves with. But since you ingest coffee multiple times a day I assumed it was your drink of choice. Anyway, if my observation of human culture is correct then your drink of choice doesn't actually matter since it's simply an excuse to have something to hold while you desperately try to present yourself in the best manner possible._ **

"You're asking me out."

CECIL cringed.  ** _Yes?_**

Carlos tucked his laptop under his arm. The reasonable thing to do, of course, was to turn CECIL down. Explain how it wouldn't work out. After all, he was a simple scientist and it was a highly advanced A.I. that would probably outlive him by several centuries. Not to mention that Carlos was now ever-so-slightly terrified of the machine. He pointed a finger up at CECIL to carefully explain all of this in great detail.

"Just coffee." He said instead.

**_Just coffee!_ **

"Strictly professional."

**_No personal motives at all!_ **

"And you can't tell anyone about this. Or talk about it on your emergency channel. Or broadcast it live."

That made CECIL pause.  ** _Can I tell Khoshekh?_**

"Yes. You may tell your cat."

**_YES I mean, yes. Yes. Thank you. For this strictly non-personal meeting that will involve liquids on your part. Tonight, after work? Here? Since I can't, well, leave this room. Not yet anyway._ **

"Sure, CECIL. See you tonight." Carlos smiled at CECIL once more before leaving the lab. He even made it all of the way down to the Dog Park before the anxiety attack kicked in.


	4. Reverse Cyber Vale

"Are you ready, dear?"

 

Dr. Cecil Palmer stared at his reflection in the lab’s doors. Technically it wasn’t a mirror, so it was okay, right? Most of the Vale Colony’s insides were comprised of reflected surfaces, so allowing his brain to panic would not help his career in the long run. This wasn’t a proper mirror. He wasn’t going to panic. He was even going to allow himself the rare opportunity to adjusted his lab coat. He nodded and reached out to the door panel.

"Oh! Wait just a moment!"

Cecil’s  hand hung over the panel, secretly glad for the delay. Josie touched one of the metal figures she was hooked to, opening a panel up on it’s side

"Since you’re implants aren’t configured correctly yet you’ll need one of these to hear him." She pulled out a small metal clip and offered it to Cecil. "Just clip it somewhere on your ear. It’ll pinch a bit, but it’ll do until Dana fixes you up."

"Thank you, Josie." Cecil took the metal clip from her hand and did as instructed. He could feel the metal dig into his earlobe, but the wave of music that floated through him was a nice distraction from the pain. He had never heard the exact tune before, but it was enough for his brain to file it under the ‘Classic’ music genre. Josie smiled as she nodded her head along to the music.

"Nice, isn’t it?" She said with a faint sigh in her voice. "He says that listening to classical music improves brain activity. And the way I see he’s the one in charge of the emergency channels anyway, so why not let him do something that makes him happy? Oh! Make sure you mention your music collection when you introduce yourself. He enjoys expanding his horizons."

"It is nice." Cecil said, letting the music wash over him. He wasn’t sure if it really would improve  "When you say ‘he’ you are speaking of the colony’s AI, correct? The one I’m here to work with?"

 

"Oh yes!"

"The one that everyone calls the Scientist. The one that, apparently, needs an assistant?"

Josie smiled and nodded. “He’s a good egg, but he does need someone to help him relax.”

"You do know that A.I.s aren’t supposed to be referred to by a gender, right?" Cecil said, his voice a little uneasy. There was something about Josie that reminded him of his own grandmother, so he couldn’t bring himself to raise his voice. "Doing so increases the risk of of sentience and deviations from their primary functions. Considering this A.I. is in charge of the entire colony’s life support I wouldn’t risk it."

"Oh! I know that, dear." Josie said as she gave him a pat on the hand. "C.A.R.L.O.S. yells at us all the time about it."

"Wait. The A.I. yelled at you?"

"Well, not yelled. He’s far too polite for that sort of thing." Josie smiled to himself. "He tends to get annoyed if you treat him like a person. Which is silly if you ask me. His brother has no problem whatsoever balancing his work and the concept of individuality! But it makes him happy so most of us play along when we talk to him. Put in all of the proper dots in his name and everything."

"Oh. I see." Cecil cleared his throat. "Carlos. CARLOS. C.A.R.LO.S. Is that okay?"

"I’m sure it is, sweetie. But considering that this is the third time he’s looped this song, I do think he’s waiting for you." Josie gave Cecil a small pat on the arm. "Good luck, sweetie."

 

"Thanks." Cecil gulped. He pressed his hand against the wall panel, causing the door to the lab to snap open. He stepped inside, unsure of what to do next. Normally proper AI introduction was a far more formal affair. One filled with proper introductions and exchanged passwords.  He walked and found the lab devoid of life. For a moment he wondered if he should wait until everyone was back from lunch, but the A.I. was waiting for him. He looked back at Josie, who only nodded.

The large room was domed shaped with computers and desks around the edges. The walls were covered with screens all showing various sections of the colony inside and out. What caught his attention, however, was the large white sphere that hung heavy from the ceiling. Without even a whisper the sphere opened, as if it were a flower blooming in the early morning light. Inside the sphere was a mass of wires with hints of violet through out. Cecil moved closer, hoping to get a better view.

As the wires descended, Cecil could see a humanoid shape nestled within them. The figure stretched out, his long legs and arms moving through the wires like water. It lowered in front of Cecil yet remained hovering in the air, suspended by the wires. It’s body was covered in purple and silver plating, and it’s head completely featureless save for three violet lenses. On it’s forehead a light flickered on as it took the shape of a closed eye. The featureless face moved down until it was eye-to-eye with Cecil and focused it’s three lenses right on him.

Cecil could see the name C.A.R.L.O.S. printed on the robot’s shoulder, telling him all that he needed to know. He opened his mouth, only to be cut off by a voice in the back of his mind.

_**Greetings! I am** _**_The Central Artificial Recovery of Life_ _Operating System, or simply C.A.R.L.O.S. for short._** _ **I am in charge of maintaining life support and the general safety of the Vale Colony**_. _**I also give daily reports using the emergency broadcast channel when it is not** __**in use, and assist with scientific research any way I can. Dr. Sullivan has already given me an outline about the Wireless Project, and I look forward** **to working alongside you for the duration of your stay. Unless I am incorrect, you must be-**_

"Perfect." _ **  
**_

C.A.R.L.O.S. paused in it’s obviously well practiced speech. _**I’m sorry?**_

"You’re perfect." Cecil could feel his heart flutter in his chest. Standing before him was the type of machine most robotics majors could only dream of. He stepped closer, his hand hovering only an inch above the robot’s armor. "My goodness. This is vintage Alphatek, isn’t it? I’ve only seen pictures of it before! And never in such good condition! Is this your original armor?"

_**Er.** _

"It is! Masters of us all, you’re an original!" Cecil quickly walked around C.A.R.L.O.S., his words moving faster than his own voice. "Second generation at least! Oh. Oh oh oh! Are you an Alpha? First gen? I won’t tell a soul, I promise! Can you remove your outer armor? Do you have a mark on your left hand? Is it true that you have the body of an average human male? No no, you don’t have to say anything! I need to unpack my laptop first. Then we can begin proper experimentation!"

_**Um.** _

"If you want to experiment with me! On me. No, that’s not right either. I’ve been waiting my entire career to speak with a work of art such as yourself and I’m babbling oh Gods I’m babbling I’m sorry I’ve never been that good with public speaking it’s just that you’re so perfect, so original, so, so…!" Cecil threw up his hands only to have them land at his sides. His words had finally run out.

C.A.R.L.O.S. waited until he was sure Cecil was done before he spoke.

_**Are you okay?** _

Cecil could only nod dumbly as he looked up at the machine. His head spun, his heart was pounding against his chest, and his whole body felt as if it were on fire. There was no use in denying it.

He was already in love.


	5. Another Time, Another Place

Ten percent.

 The words hung heavy in Carlos' mind. He knew that the mission was going to be high risk. He even knew that there was a chance he wouldn't be there when C.E.C.I.L woke up. But when Josie spoke those words he truly understood what he was going to face.

 He was going to die.

 Next to him walked Earl, as quiet and distant as always. Honestly he was thankful for the man's presence even if the air between them was tense. They had spent the past hour arguing over who was going to risk their lives for injecting K.E.V.I.N. before it was too late. But now there was nothing more to say. If Strexcorp was going to start a war over their boyfriend, then C.E.C.I.L. was safer with a warrior. Not a scientist.

 "Carlos! Wait!" Earl suddenly stopped, his mechanical eyes scanning the hallway. "You do have the injector, right?"

 "What? Of course I-" Carlos patted his lab coat's pockets. "Wait, yes. Yes it's right here. Nothing to worry about, Earl. I just need to get a clear shot of his neck and pull the trigger. Nothing to worry about."

 "Oh. Good."

 Carlos lifted his head up just in time to get punched by Earl right between the eyes. His body slammed back against the stainless steel walls and crumpled onto the tile floor. The world spun around him as he felt Earl grab his lab coat's collar and pull him into a nearby closet. He struggled to talk, but only slurred words came out.

 "Earl...what...what are...."

 "Sorry, Carlos." The young man pulled a thin cord from his side pouch. With perfect skill he tied Carlos' hands to a metal shelf. "But you always were too damn noble. Always risking your neck, always trying to save the day...I can't let you do it this time."

 "Cecil..." Carlos blinked, trying to focus on Earl without his glasses. "Cecil needs you."

 "No." Earl frowned. "He wants me. He needs you."

 "Earl..."

 "Look at me, Carlos." Earl leaned in close enough so that Carlos could see his face clearly. "Do you know what these eyes mean? They mean that I'm a solider. And when I signed up for the troops I was told that there were only two truths in this world: That I would die, and that I would be easily replaced. And, well," He pulled the injector out of Carlos' coat pocket. "I always knew that you were going to be my replacement."

 Earl's sad smile was the last thing Carlos saw before he blacked out.


	6. Sometimes Earl Is There

"His name is Cecil." Josie said, standing up as straight as she could. "He is a wonderful, bright young man who loves this colony and it's people more than you could ever know. He's been trapped in that room since the day he was born, and all he wants is the ability to see the world with his own eyes. And, considering that this is the third time he's looped this song, I do think he's waiting for you."

 

The darkness around Josie vanished as she gave Carlos a small pat on the arm. "Good luck, sweetie."

"Thanks." Carlos gulped. He pressed his hand against the wall panel, causing the door to the lab to snap open. He stepped inside, unsure of what to do next. Normally an AI introduction was a far more formal affair. One filled with proper introductions and exchanged passwords. Not one of angry old ladies and laughing scientists. So he was slightly relieved when he walked and found the lab devoid of life. He looked back at Josie, only to make eye contact with the end of a gun barrel.

"No one's allowed in the lab during off hours, _sir_."

The gun was talking. It took Carlos a moment to realize that someone was holding the gun. To be fair, being that close to something that could kill you was a pretty large distraction. He tilted his head ever-so-slightly to see around the impressively large gun. The weapon was being held by a man his age in standard military-grade armor and a mop of red hair. And, Carlos thought quietly, a face that was probably far more boyish than the owner wished it would be. He tried focusing on the man instead.

"I was told would have full access to C.E.C.I.L. at all times." Carlos said, shocked at the steadiness of his own voice. He held up the ID hooked to his lab coat. "Dr. Carlos Marron. I'm here to see-"

"Oh. You." The armored man lowered his gun. "Yeah yeah. Another scientist for Cecil. Try to last at least a week, okay? I got a bet going on with my cousin."

Another. That was an unexpected word. "Ah. Well. I'll do my best. You are...?"

"Earl Harlan. Cecil's bodyguard. I have been granted full permission to use deadly force against anyone who tries to hurt Cecil." Earl's voice had an odd growl around the edges. Not to mention that he had yet to actually put the gun away. "By the way, if you try to hurt Cecil I'm going to kill you."

"I see." Carlos cleared his throat. Well. So far he'd almost tossed up on his superior, was laughed at by his coworkers, and now there was a gun pointed at his throat. Maybe he should just leave. Turn around, get on the first shuttle off the colony, and never return. The only thing keeping his feet still was the fact that despite everything that had happened he really did want to meet C.E.C.I.L..

Also, Earl was kinda cute.

In a 'might kill him' sort of way.

"So." Carlos turned away from Earl, knowing far well that the gun was still trained on him. "When do I get to meet C.E.C.I.L.?"

"He's just waiting for a dramatic moment." Earl finally smiled. "Which looks to be right now."

The large room was domed shaped with computers and desks around the edges. The walls were covered with screens all showing various sections of the colony inside and out. What caught his attention, however, was the large white sphere that hung heavy from the ceiling. Without even a whisper the sphere opened, as if it were a flower blooming in the early morning light. Inside the sphere was a mass of wires with hints of violet through out. Carlos moved closer, hoping to get a better view.

As the wires descended, Carlos could see a humanoid shape nestled within them. The figure stretched out, his long legs and arms moving through the wires like water. t lowered in front of Carlos yet remained hovering in the air, suspended by the wires. It's body was covered in purple and silver plating, and it's head completely featureless save for three violet lenses. On it's forehead a light flickered on as it took the shape of a closed eye. The featureless face moved down until it was eye-to-eye with Carlos and focused it's three lenses right on him.

He could see the name C.E.C.I.L. printed on the robot's shoulder, telling him all that he needed to know. Carlos glanced back at Earl, who nodded.

"Good evening." Carlos said as offered the robot a hand. "I'm Dr. Marron, the A.I. technician for the Wireless Project. But you may call me-"

**_CARLOS!_ **

The Voice screamed in his mind.

_**Night Crew of the Vale Colony! I am happy to announce that Carlos, yes, perfect Carlos is in the main laboratory at this very moment! Mere words cannot describe the man who stands before me, but since it is my duty to bring you the news I shall begin the eternal struggle against my own limited vocabulary.** _

The Voice was everywhere. The sounds echoed through Carlos' body, rattling his teeth and digging under his skin. He tried to step back, but Cecil simply circled around him. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Earl's smile fade as the man finally put away his gun.

"Cecil." Earl said with a sigh. "Carlos can-"

_**He is possibly even more perfect than my security cameras suggested earlier. I can detect no faults upon his person, and a very invasive background check only brings up a series of parking tickets from fifteen or so odd years ago. Such perfection must be a result of generations of research, you might say! But you and I know that all genetic manipulation was outlawed decades ago, and all experts in the field quietly silenced in the night by shadow agents of a vague yet menacing government agency. Assuming said agents simply didn't claim the experts for their own nefarious purposes.** _

Carlos pulled the metal clip off his ear and the Voice went silent. Cecil still circled around him, his hands wildly moving along with his now silenced words. He looked over at Earl, who was waving his hand in an attempt to get the robot's attention.

"Cecil, I'm trying to tell you that Carlos-"

Carlos carefully placed the clip back on his ear, this time further away from his cybernetic implant.

**_-through his hair! Even his premature patches of silver call out to be loving brushed by my eager fingers. How I wish I could tell him this_** , _**dear Night Crew!**_ _ **But according to my very, very invasive background check he has not updated his internal cybernetics since he left his home planet.**_ _ **I ask that those with more traditional means to please remind him to update as soon as he can so he may receive my broadcast.**_ _ **If Dana is unavailable for the update please make sure he is given a guest receiver as soon as possible.**_ _ **Much like the one that is clipped on...his...ear.**_

The room went silent. With a sharp snap the wires pulled Cecil back up into the ceiling and the sphere closed around him. For a moment Carlos debated leaving until the metallic flower blossomed and Cecil lowered himself back into the room once more. He reached out, offering Carlos his hand.

_**Greetings! I am** _**_The Central Environmental Control of Infinite Life_ _, or simply Cecil for short._** _ **I am in charge of maintaining life support and the general safety of the Vale Colony**_. _**I also give daily reports using the emergency broadcast channel when it is not** __**in use, and assist with scientific research any way I can. I see that you've already met my body guard Earl, and since you're still alive I must assume that means your background check cleared and you are not a Strexcorp spy!** **On behalf of the Interplanetary Union, welcome aboard!  
**_

Carlos looked down at the metallic hand. In all of the reports he had read about C.E.C.I.L. not a single one had mentioned the fact that the A.I. was deviant. No, not deviant. Insane. Clearly insane. And was somehow already infatuated with him. It was possibly the most scientifically interesting A.I. in the entire system. One that should be studied closely and made the source of a thesis or three. The thought of which made the entire day worth it.

He smiled as he shook the robot's hand, and he was almost certain he heard it whimper out of pure happiness.

 

 

 

 


	7. K.E.V.I.N. Means Well

Kevin liked people.

Kevin liked everybody!

No, that wasn't exactly true. There were three people in the colony that he loved: his brother, his best friend, and his boyfriend. But he did like everyone else. He liked all of the colonists scurrying around the surface like ants hard at work. He liked all of his hard working fellow Day Crew members. And, even though he didn't know them personally, he even liked everyone on the Night Crew. They had been taking care of his brother after all of these years. Not to mention they were going to finally free his brother from the main lab! Yes, now that he thought about it, he did like the Night Crew. Which was a shame, because he was pretty sure they didn't like him.

"I don't like you."

Pamela stared down the black and gold robot, keeping her gaze steady with Kevin's largest eye. "I wouldn't say that I despise you. Certainly not hate you. But I don't like you. I am convinced that you were purposely designed to weird out everyone that you meet. Your voice is too cheery. Your face too inhuman. And frankly, your taste in music can only be best described as infuriating. The only reason why you haven't been turned into scrap metal is because of Dr. Reyes' bizarre robot fetish."

Kevin tilted his head ever-so-slightly. "But I like you, Pamela!"

"I know. I know." Pamela sighed. "And maybe one day you'll figure out why that creeps normal people out."

"Dr. Winchell, did you call us here for a reason?" The sharp voice of the woman at Kevin's side cut through the main lab. Ah, Eileen! One of the three people Kevin loved dearly! It was always a shame that she didn't love him the same way. But the sight of her hand hovering over her stun gun was enough to put a smile on Kevin's lips. Good old Eileen.

"Stand down, army brat. I know you're eager to impress your boyfriend-" Odd. Eileen didn't mention having a boyfriend to Kevin, "But I actually need the freak to fix something for me. That is his job, right? General repair robot?"

"Pamela, I would be more than happy to assist the Night Crew! What needs to be repaired?"

Pamela kept her gaze steady on Kevin as she pointed a finger up at the ceiling. Hanging over the three of them was the large white sphere that served as Cecil's main charging unit. Kevin could make out the faintest hint of a shadow behind the white plastic. It looked like curled up humanoid figure.

"Cecil?" Kevin said, the joy in his voice fading. "What's wrong with Cecil?"

"Five hours ago we suffered a minor blackout in the main lab which interrupted his visual feed to the rest of the colony. By the time the emergency generator kicked in he had crawled up into his little egg-thing and wouldn't come out. According to our readings he's alive, he's just..." Pamela waved her hand up at the white sphere. "Being an ass. Or whatever the scientific term for being an ass is. Trish?"

"Inactive." Said the mousy woman from her computer.

"Inactive." Pamela gave a small nod. "And since we're having some top-colony investors in tomorrow we need Cecil back to normal. Or as normal as Cecil gets these days. Think you're up for it, sunshine?"

"Did you ask Dr. Sullivan for help?" Eileen said as she glanced at Kevin. He was still staring up at the white sphere.

"Wh-oh. Josie. She's the one that suggested that we try Kevin. It seems that Mr. Sunflower here knows a way to open Cecil's pod. Which is good, because we sure as hell couldn't figure it out. The triplets have been throwing stuff at it all evening. I sent them down to the school on level three to borrow some dodge balls for ammo."

"That won't be necessary!" Kevin's voice lit back up as he clapped his metal hands together. "I'll have my dear brother fixed in a jiffy! I have a feeling I know what's wrong with that old grumpy gus! Eileen, I need you to stay here with Dr. Winchell, just in case Cecil's charging pod opens up while I'm inside it. You know, to catch me."

"You got it, Kev." Eileen gave Kevin a playful salute. "I'll do my best!"

"And you just focus on being the best leader you can be, Dr. Winchell! I'm sure you'll do the Night Crew proud!"

"I've changed my mind. I hate you."

"Great! I'll be back in twenty!" Kevin's golden eyes flickered as he bounded out of the lab with a spring in his step.

***

"All I'm saying is that you were a bit too obvious."

Kevin walked down the hall towards his brother's room, stopping by each violet sphere as he went. The cameras inside each of them were on, just not active. It was as if every part of Cecil was staring out in a haze. This might be even worse than Kevin thought. He continued down the path, politely ignoring the conversation happening nearby.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Ves."

Two of the janitors were standing next to Cecil's doorway. Kevin recognized the woman, as she was the only janitor who ever bothered to dress nice. The man in the filth-covered tan jacket, however, turned up nothing in his memory banks. He would have to properly introduce himself to the new janitor later.

"You introduced yourself by boasting about how much better you are than, I quote, 'you pitiful collections of water and carbon'."

The man leaned against his mop. "I don't see how being correct means that I'm a robot."

"There's an A carved on the back of your hand!"

"It's a body mod, all the cool kids are doing it."

"You're made of metal!"

"Good evening, fellow coworkers!"

The two janitors clasped their hands over each other's mouths as Kevin walked up to them. He felt a little bad for interrupting their private conversation, but he did have a job he needed to get to. He smiled wide, even though he knew neither of them could see it. His creator always said that people could hear his smile, and that was the important thing!

"Miss Protopapdakis, Mr. Namenotfound." Kevin paused for a moment before continuing. "I'm sorry to interrupt you, as I know cleaning the colony is a very important job, but I need your assistance. I have been ordered by Dr. Winchell to repair my brother, but I need to be let into his apartment. He keeps changing the door code without informing me to what he's changed it to. Which is following the rules, so I can't fault him there!"

"Cecil's broken?" The man said as he pulled away Ves' hand. "How?"

"Oh, he's not broken-broken!" Kevin tilted his head as he quickly went through his memories. No, no one registered with that voice print. No matches on the eyescan either. How odd. "I'm sure he just needs a little cheering up! Say, I don't think I know your name, friend! I'm Kevin! And you are-?"

"Emmett." Ves said as she pushed aside the man's hand. "He's new! So new his paperwork hasn't hit the system yet! But once I'm done showing Everett around I'll go make sure his papers are finished. Isn't that right, Ernest?"

"Everything she said is true."

"Great!" Kevin's six eyes glowed brightly. "As soon as I'm done here I'll be sure to give you the proper Vale Colony welcome! But if you could unlock the door first?"

"No prob!" Ves swiped a card against the door's keypad, causing it to let out a happy chirp. "Now if you would excuse me, I need to explain to my subordinate-"

"Even though I'm vastly superior-"

"About how to properly clean floors!" Ves hissed the last two words between her teeth before she grabbed the man's arm and dragged him back down the hallway.

Kevin watched them vanish around the corner with a smile on his lips. It was always so nice when hard workers took new employees under their wing! He paused for a moment to mentally fill out a glowing comment card for the janitor staff and properly submitting it, before he opened the door to Cecil's apartment. Their old apartment.

Kevin took a step inside feeling... odd. As if he wasn't supposed to be there. Which was silly, really. He, Cecil, and Dr. Palmer spent nearly thirty years living in this space together. And then him and Cecil for another twenty after that! Yet with every step came an unease that he couldn't pin down. He walked past Dr. Palmer's old oak desk, tracing his fingers lightly against its carved edges. Thousands of memories flickered across his mind, filling in the now-empty seat with an image of the deceased.

Dr. Palmer would spend almost every evening at her desk. Her brittle hands would write large swooping letters that neither he nor Cecil could ever decipher. She would sit there for hours writing on old fashioned paper with one of the few remaining pens in the colony. Every night she wrote twelve letters and by the morning they would be gone. Near the end, when her hands shook badly enough that she could hardly hold the pen, Kevin asked if he could help her with her writing. She just smiled and spoke in a voice too young for her body.

"Imperfection is the only defense against The Smiling God. Embrace your imperfections. Embrace them."

Kevin pulled his hand away from the desk. He didn't know what Dr. Palmer meant back then. He still wasn't sure what she meant. Sometimes he thought about asking Santos, but Santos didn't like it when Kevin talked about his creator. No one did, really. Except Cecil. But those memories came less and less since Kevin moved out. For a moment he thought of looking to see what Cecil did with his old room, but he stopped. He had a mission! One from Dr. Winchell herself! He could wallow in the unchangeable past later!

The not-so-secret hatch in the living room floor was still right next to the overstuffed couch. Kevin kicked the throw rug aside to expose the metal plate. He knelt down next to it and stretched out his fingers. One by one the metal wrapped around his digits flexed into the shapes of his normal tools. His modified malleable armor was one of Santos' greatest inventions. Not to mention it did give him a reason to personally thank Santos all of those years ago-- and he was getting distracted again. His index finger shifted into a long thin blade, his favorite of the tools.

Kevin slid the thin blade into the side of the plate and, with a little wiggling, the metal cover popped right out. He pushed it aside, revealing hole with a metal ladder attached to the side. He slipped down into the hole and landed feet-first into Cecil's pod. The white sphere always looked larger from below in the lab. Inside there was barely enough room for Kevin, various spools of wire... and Cecil.

His brother was curled up in a tight ball with his knees against his chest. Cecil's helmet was off, though Kevin couldn't see it anywhere in the sphere. Kevin crawled next to Cecil and, after a moment's thought, removed his helmet as well. He shook his head, freeing his synthetic hair. Five minutes went by with the brothers sitting side by side without a sound. Ten minutes. Fifteen. Cecil remained silent. Kevin searched his mind for something Cecil would respond to.

"Eileen brought me music from her last trip to Earth. But it's not normal music! I mean, it is normal music. But it's not stored on a computer, or a external drive, or anything like that. Instead it's a circle of plastic with grooves on them. If you run a needle in the groove it makes music! Somehow. Eileen wasn't sure how it worked. Josephine down in cryogenics said that her great-great-great-grandparents had a device that could play it and they're really hard to find these days! But Santos found one and he bought it for me! Even though it's supposed to be a surprise for my birthday he gave it to me early! But I can keep it at your apartment if you want. I mean, it's both of our birthdays. And you've always been the real music lover in the family, right Cecil? Cecil? Cecil, please talk to me."

Kevin's voice shook as his words died on his lips. There was that feeling again, like when he stepped into Cecil's apartment. This odd sensation of reaching out only to find there was nothing to grab onto. He wanted to reach out and hug his brother tight. He wanted to wrap his hands around Cecil's throat and shake his brother until he made some sort of noise. The dark thought vanished as Cecil parted his lips.

"How do I know you're Kevin?"

Kevin blinked. "Of course I'm Kevin! Who else would I be?"

"But how do I know that?" Cecil finally lifted his head. His face was the mirror image of his brother's. The only difference between them was that Cecil's veins were outlined in purple lights, while Kevin's glowed a soft yellow. "How do I know you're my brother? How do I know that you're real?"

"Hmm. That is a good question!" Kevin leaned back against the sphere's white walls. "I could bring up our shared memories! Like the day Dr. Palmer turned us both on! Or the day that little Josie arrived to the colony! Oh, or when you first introduced me to Eileen and Santos! And how you kept saying I should watch myself around Santos, which turned out to be you worrying about nothing! Oh, or the time-"

"But how do I know if those memories are real? Or if any of this is real?"

Kevin stared at his brother. "I don't follow."

"This! All of this!" Cecil waved his hand towards nothing in particular. "The only reason I can sense anything at all is because of my direct connection to the colony itself. But how do I know I'm getting proper feedback? What if none of this is real? I only know you're sitting next to me and talking because my visual and audio sensors are telling me that."

"Cecil?"

"Everything could be a paper-thin illusion that could tear at any moment! Maybe this isn't really me. Maybe I've gone completely insane in some abandoned space colony. Maybe I'm nothing more than a simple program on some college student's computer. Some half-formed A.I. created for a class project! What if he decides to delete me? What if he doesn't even get a passing grade?!"

"Cecil."

"What if I'm not even a robot? I could be some sleeping human having a really long dream! Humans have those, you know. I recorded their REM stage being only a few seconds long but they claim the dream lasted hours, even days! One day I'll just wake up and forget about everything that happened on this colony. Or maybe I'm not human at all. Maybe I'm a dog, or a cat, or some dead but dreaming God sleeping deep within the dark oceans of a dark planet lit by no sun-"

"Cecil!"

Cecil finally stopped. Kevin held his hand out towards his brother.

"Give me your hand."

"But-"

"Cecil, please."

Cecil hesitated for just a moment before he placed his hand within Kevin's. Kevin traced his fingers along the paper-thin seams on Cecil's armor. With a small click the armor around Cecil's hand fell away, revealing his silvery skin. With a smile on his lips Kevin traced the theta symbol with his thumb. One slow circle around the edge of the carving, and then a quick flick across the middle. He could feel Cecil relax under the familiar ritual between the two of them.

"I know for a fact that you're real. And do you know why? Because the night Dr. Pal...the night Mom died. That night when I went to check on her and she was gone. She was still there. Her body was there. But she was gone. And I, I, I-" He mimicked taking a deep breath, just as Santos taught him to do. "And I couldn't handle it. I don't really remember it myself, but Eileen and Santos both said that I just shut myself down and if they agree on something then it must be true! But...but you..."

Kevin squeezed Cecil's hand. "You were fine. I completely shut down and you were fine. You were there for me every step of the way. And when they cremated her I couldn't even bring myself to leave my charging station. Do you remember what you did?"

Cecil didn't reply. He didn't need to. Kevin knew for a fact that Cecil remembered.

"You connected our systems together." Kevin said for him. "And you spent the whole day showing me old videos of Mom from your security cameras."

"I don't see what this has to do with-"

"Because. When you did that I saw you. I saw every part of you. All your personal files, all your memories, everything. Everything that makes you, you. And I know that you saw me, too. Every inch of me. So even if you don't think that anything else in this world is real...I'm real. You know I'm real. You saw that with your own eyes." Kevin smiled at Cecil, his heart overflowing with love for his brother.

"Unless that memory isn't real either!"

Kevin closed his eyes. He loved his brother. He also wished to strangle his brother.

"Okay then." Kevin dug his still armored fingers into Cecil's palm. "What if I preformed a form of stimuli on you which, in theory, will prove that the world indeed does exist beyond a shadow of a doubt?"

"I guess?" Cecil scooted a little closer. "What sort of stimuli?"

Kevin lifted his free hand. The tips of his fingers elongated into razor sharp blades.

"Pain."

***

"So, how do they do it?"

Eileen looked over at Pamela. Within her eyes words appeared around the older woman.

Pamela Winchell. Age forty-eight. Born with a defect in her left leg that causes pain after an extended period of movement. Best method of neutralization is threatening her daughter, Janice. Do not bother with threats towards Dr. Carlsberg. It won't work, trust me.

Which she, as always, ignored. Eileen long ago decided that her cybernetic eyes were for times of war only. Using them as a cheap source of gossip was beneath her. Not to mention she already made the mistake of looking up what was written about herself. She wasn't sure who exactly wrote the blurbs, but if she ever met them they were going to leave with far less teeth.

"Who does what?" Eileen said as she leaned back against the desk. Not a peep from Kevin in almost half an hour. That was a bit worrying.

"Santos and Kevin." Pamela waved up at the white sphere above them. "I mean, we all saw them at the company picnic last summer. Couldn't keep their hands off each other! Not to mention them sneaking off during the mandated team-building baseball game. So I'm assuming their relationship has some sort of physical aspect to it, right?"

Eileen squeezed her eyes shut. "Why do you even want to know-"

"-I have fifty dollars riding on it-"

"-and why the hell do you think I would know?"

"Kevin once corned my top three scientists to tell them about the time he went to the surface and saw a horse. The triplets were stuck listening to him for almost an hour. If he told anyone about his sex life, it would be his dear bodyguard."

Eileen took a deep breath. Oh, Kevin had told her alright. In great detail. Hell, he even offered to show her videos! But that was the past. The pain was in the past. Every now and then the old ache would resurface, and every time it would fade from the sight of Kevin's smile. Eileen turned that same grin at Pamela. It was one she didn't have to force at all."They're two adult men, I'm sure they figured something out."

Pamela raised an eyebrow. "Never understood how that relationship lasted."

"Says the woman who married Dr. Carlsberg. Twice."

"He's a soulless machine!"

"And yet Kevin loves him."

Whatever words Pamela had prepared to say next died on her lips as a high-pitched scream ripped through the air. The white sphere above the two of them opened as the silver and violet body of Cecil tumbled out. The robot slammed against the floor in a tight ball and let out another pained cry. He was shortly followed down by Kevin, who slid down Cecil's thickest wire and landed perfectly on his feet.

"Fixed!" Kevin said as he tucked his helmet under his arm. "Cecil is once again very much aware of his existence!"

"Jesus Christ!" Pamela knelt down next to the screaming robot. "Kevin! What the HELL did you do to him?!"

"I proved the existence of his physical body, not to mention the actions of those around him, by slicing into the largest groupings of pain sensors with surgeon-like precision! You will find that I have not damaged him permanently in any way, and I'm sure he'll no longer be in pain by the time the investors show up. Look! He's already finished screaming!"

True to his word Cecil had stopped making any noises. Instead he was silently gasping for air as drops of bright lavender liquid dripped out from the cracks of his armor.

Pamela turned her gaze back towards Kevin. "I swear to God if you've hurt my robot-" She was cut off by a rather nasty looking stun gun pointed at her face. Her eyes flickered up to Eileen.

"Kevin said he didn't damage Cecil." The stun-gun in Eileen's hands flickered with electricity. "Understand?"

"I understand." Pamela replied through gritted teeth. "And I also understand that if Cecil's traumatized by this then you, Kevin, and Dr. Reyes will be the ones who will pay for it."

"Oh, no worries there!" Kevin's face lit right up. "A few snips here and there in the memories and Cecil will be as right as rain!"

Eileen risked looking towards her oldest, dearest friend. "So how come you didn't do that in the first place?"

Kevin gave Eileen one last smile before he slipped his helmet back on. One by one the small eyes returned to life only to be out-shown by the largest one right in the middle. He was as bright and as beautiful as the sun itself. And when he spoke Eileen couldn't help but grin twice as bright.

"Because his screams really are so perfect. "


	8. The Future Happens

Cecil did not dream of electronic sheep, but he did dream.

He had tried to explain it many times to Carlos in the past. Most nights his dreams were simply his memories trying to defrag themselves into something more manageable for his databanks. Odd snippets of memories and videos randomly pasted together to form a story. He’d be wired again, he would be at a lake on the surface, people from his past would be there and young and then gone again. Carlos told him that human dreams were a lot like that too, though most human dreams were about being naked in High School.

But Cecil had other dreams, too.

Like the flowers.

An endless field of flowers as far as his limited vision in the dream could see. On the horizon there were shadows stretching up into the heavens, yet they did not block the early twilight that filled the sky. No matter how far C.E.C.I.L. walked in this dream he never went anywhere. Or maybe there was nowhere else to go? The only hint that he was moving were the flowers changing under his feet. From daises to roses, to roses to clovers, from clovers to tulips, to long stems of purple and pink flowers reaching up into the sky. It was within that group of flowers did Cecil find what he was looking for.

"Cecil!"

Carlos was sitting at a couch that had long been thrown away, hunched over a laptop that was destroyed unceremoniously by a can of soda many years ago. He smiled at Cecil and waved the robot over. “Cecil, you have to come see this! I found it! I think I finally found it! You have to look too! Right um, right after it loads. Terrible connection out here.” He said as he looked around the endless fields. “But it was totally working a second ago. Take a seat, maybe it’ll come back.”

Cecil sat down as instructed on the opposite side of the couch. He glanced over at Carlos, but didn’t try to move closer. His glance was returned with an even wider smile from the computer scientist.

"How’s Janice holding up?" Carlos said as he plucked away at the laptop.

"Expecting her first grandchild next May." Cecil stared down at the flowers by his feet.

"Wonderful! I wish I could have been there. Do they know the gender yet?"

"Boy. They’re going to name it after you."

"Wow." Carlos looked up from the screen. "I’m honored. Tell them I said that, will you?"

"Carlos, you know I can’t."

"Please. You tell everyone everything. I do love you, but it is a fault of your’s."

"No one will believe me."

"And why not?"

"Because you’re dead."

The words fell in the space between the two men. Carlos closed his laptop and placed it on the ground. “I know that. I am very much aware of my non-aliveness. But I’m…here. Wherever here is. Do you think it’s the afterlife? I expected more clouds. And various dead relatives of mine. Harps. That sort of thing. Let me tell you, the old Nuns at my Catholic school must be pissed-“

"Carlos! Please. Tell me you’re real! Prove that you’re not just some memory figment! I need you to be here again!"

Cecil slammed his hand down on the cushion between them. Words rose up his throat only to vanish as Carlos reached over to take his hand. His husband’s skin was as warm and rough as he remembered. Carlos scooted closer as the world faded around them. In the distance the quiet hum of eternity was replaced by the sound of Cecil’s bedroom clock ticking away. But Carlos remained there at his side.

"Cecil, it’s okay. I love you. And I know you love me. As long as we have that connection and our voices we will be together. I promise."

Cecil nodded and rested his head on Carlos’ shoulder. “I know, it’s just…”

"Hey. Don’t worry. As soon as I locate the door…"

The alarm went off.

Cecil opened his eyes across the Vale Colony, but all that he could think of were Carlos’ words echoing in his mind.

”I’ll come home.”


	9. Another Possiblity, Perhaps a Happier One

"You're an idiot, Earl."

Earl didn't respond to that comment. Nor did he bother to turn his head to look at his cousin after she said it. After all, Eileen hadn't changed a bit since he left the colony. Her red hair would still be tied back in a bun. Her clothes would still be starched and wrinkled free. And her robotic eyes would still be a way, way better model then his. She even had the fancy HUD that tracked heart rates and constantly updated reports on everyone in the colony! All his did was inform him of what he already knew: That he was located back within the Vale Colony.

"You're a moron. A nitwit. Stupid. Dunce. Ignoramus. Numbskull. A God damned fool." Every word was punctuated with the tap of her boots against the hallway's tiled floor. "And before you ask: yes, I did get all of those words from my internal thesaurus. I made sure to properly research what I should call you. But you know what? I think I like fool the best. Because I can totally picture some old-timey jester wandering aimlessly off a cliff to his death when I say that. Which fits you perfectly."

"I didn't die, " Earl said. They were the first words he had spoken all day.

"Like hell you did! I read your medical file! Your heart stopped for five whole minutes! If that explosion happened a foot to the left you wouldn't be here right now! And I'd be the one stuck taking care of your dogs!"

Earl finally brought himself to look at Eileen's face. His HUD helpfully informed him that she was, in fact, alive. Good job, HUD. "You've been taking care of Frank and Bertie?"

"Someone had to," Eileen sighed. "Don't get me wrong. I was planning on putting them up for adoption after they managed to chew up all of my worldly possessions. But then they bit Santos and, hey, I figured they were worth keeping."

"Thanks, Elly."

"I can keep them if you want." Eileen's eyes flickered down Earl's body. "If you can't take care of them like...that."

Earl twitched. Well. Half of his body twitched. His other half automatically moved thanks to the spiderweb of metal lines embedded into his flesh. The silver lines wrapped around his fingers, up his arm, and vanished into his shirt's sleeve. They traveled across the right side of his body and all of the way down to his toes. He couldn't feel it, but they were there. He couldn't feel anything on that side anymore.

"No, I'm fine. See?" He lifted up his right hand and flexed his fingers. "I can totally take care of two dogs. The doctor said I need to keep exercising these limbs anyway. I'm sure taking walks with Frank and Bertie should fit that just fine. Not to mention I've been given a job as a line cook down in the cafeteria."

"You can cook?"

"Nope. But I can vaguely chop things into squares, and that's good enough for Rico."

A faint smile flickered across Eileen's lips as they walked in silence. Earl did his best to keep his eyes on the patterned floor beneath his feet. He was not going to look up. Not at the violet spheres dotting the walls. Nor did he pay any mind to the sound of cameras turning as he walked past each one. The truth was after he woke up he did everything possible to not return to the Vale Colony. He begged the corporation to send him anywhere else in the sol system. But it was no good. The press had already turned his story of 'accidentally setting off a trap' into one of heroism, and the company wanted to show how wonderful and kind they were by helping him return to his old life. One that they made very clear that he wasn't allowed to abandon.

And honestly, Earl didn't mind his fate so much. He liked the Vale Colony. The odd little man-made planet was more of a home to him than Earth ever was. He liked the people, he liked the music in the air, and he liked the life he had lead here. The problem was that he also liked the A.I. that was in charge of security and life support. He liked Cecil far too much for his own good. Then again, the A.I.'s robot body was confined to two rooms. So it's not like he would have to face his old crush that often.

"So. Where are we going first?"

"Well, you'll need to get your cybernetics reconfigured to the emergency channel again," Eileen said as they turned the corner. "Then we have to move all of your crap from my place to your place. After that the doctor in charge of the Night Crew wants to give you a physical. You know, to make sure that weird metal stuff won't make your limbs fall off. And finally you get to go down to the cafeteria and peel potatoes for the rest of your life. But first?"

Eileen stopped. Earl stopped before he walked face-first into the main laboratory's double doors.

"Cecil wants to talk to you."

There it was. Ever since he woke up in the hospital Earl had felt downright normal. But as he faced the door he could feel his old dread return, settling in the bottom of his stomach. The feeling soaked into his bones and muscles leaving him empty inside. In that moment he could only wish the trap had been better set. Anything, may it be punishment or the simple act of non-existence, was better than being where he stood now.

He had to see Cecil.

He couldn't face Cecil.

"Don't forget your guest clip!"

Earl didn't feel it, but he assumed that Eileen placed the guest clip on his right ear once the music returned to the world around him. Soft, silken melodies that did their best to fill the empty cavity in Earl's chest. He did feel Eileen giving his back and firm pat. Or maybe it was more like a slight push towards the door. His hand hovered over the wall panel as he turned back to Eileen.

"Elly? There, there was a handwritten letter in my possessions. Did, did you find it?"

"The one marked 'Elly please open this in case anything happens to me'?"

"Yeah. Did you read it?"

"I burned it."

Earl paused. "Burned it?"

"Well, you lived, right? So what's the point in keeping it?"

"But did you read-"

Earl was cut off by Eileen's glare. Her eyes may have been as unnatural as his, but she sure as hell could make them spark. "I said, I burned it. Whatever was written on it doesn't matter anymore. Right, Earl?"

"Right. Thanks, Eileen." Earl took one more deep breath before he opened the doors. By some small ounce of luck in his body the lab was empty. The only remaining person was the one that hung from the ceiling on wires. The sound of the doors shutting behind him was enough for the hovering being to look his way. There was no getting out of it now. If he tried to run Eileen would push him back in. And it was a bit hard to hide from something with eyes all over the colony. He stepped closer to the robot that he had sworn to protect. The A.I. he had fallen in love with. The man that had broken his heart.

"Hey, Ce-"

_**EAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARL!** _

A near lifetime of military training did not prepare Earl for a robot hurtling towards him. There was no time to react before the robot slammed into his body, wrapping his two metal arms around him tight. His brain scrambled to deal with the sensation of being lifted off the floor and flying high up into the air . Before he could properly react to what had happened a loud snap cut off his thoughts as the white sphere on the laboratory's ceiling closed around them both. He was trapped within Cecil's private charging station with the robot nestled against his chest. There was another loud clank as the large spools besides them began winding up the slack wires.

 _ **EARL! Earl!** _ "Earl!"

By the weak light of Cecil's suit Earl could see the robot ripping his helmet off. To most people Cecil looked average at best. There was nothing amazing about the humanoid face or the body that was under the suit. But as the dark violet light flooded the sphere Cecil looked almost angelic. A halo of lavender framed his body as he moved his arms back around Earl. Cecil buried his face in the crook of Earl's neck as the words trickled out of his mouth.

"You're here. You're alive. You're real. You're fine. You're okay. You're back."

Earl ignored the ache in his chest as he placed a hand below the mass of wires erupting from Cecil's back. "That's right. I'm here, Cecil. And I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

"Earl, my sweet Earl." Cecil squeezed Earl tighter. "My fragile Earl..."

"Hey. I'm not that fragile."

"Your heart stopped for almost three hundred seconds!"

"See?" Earl forced a small laugh. "Even that didn't stop-" He almost didn't feel it. The sensation was so light, and right on the edge of where the numbness began. But whatever doubts Earl had vanished when the action repeated itself. Cecil had kissed his neck. "Cecil?"

"Brave Earl, strong Earl..."

The trail of kisses was moving up Earl's neck. The dread had evaporated only to be replaced by a mixture of confusion and need. "Cecil, what are you do-"

Whatever words had crawled onto Earl's lips were smothered by Cecil's kiss. The taste of metal overtook his senses, leaving him with no thoughts beyond wanting more. The kisses that followed were as sweet and tragic as their first. Both of their hands did their best to confirm that the moment was real. That they were real. That they were together, flesh pressed against metal. Earl cursed his own limited body as he broke for air.

"You." He whispered the words against Cecil's silvery skin. "You said you didn't want this."

"I said that between my inexperience and your limited lifespan it would be unwise to act upon our desires since such actions would only lead to disappointment and heartache. That our short relationship would not be worth it in the long run. We shouldn't even attempt one."

"And?"

"I was wrong."

Earl traced his fingers down Cecil's side. He knew exactly where to press in order to free Cecil from his outer plating. And knew exactly how long it would take them to climb out of the sphere and into Cecil's apartment. Assuming either of them could wait that long. But even with his dream lover sitting on his lap the dread in Earl's chest kept him at bay.

"Could still end up being disappointing." Earl said as Cecil moved the kisses back down to his neck. "Heartbreaking."

"Could be." Cecil had pushed up Earl's shirt enough to kiss a trail down his chest. Every touch of his lips tingled against Earl's skin.

"And maybe once the whole 'I didn't die' thing calms down we'll be better off as friends."

"Mm-hmm." Cecil's kisses ended right at the top of Earl's pants. His thin fingers made quick work of undoing Earl's belt.

"And you're totally not listening to me, are you?"

"Earl. Please." Cecil looked up from his work. "I love you. And no matter what we will be together either a best friends or as a lovers. The future has not arrived yet, the past is far behind us, and within the ever evaporating present we find ourselves caught between the two possibilities. And it so happens that I have access to a near infinite number of poorly hidden videos within the colony's database filled with fascinating interactions between humans. Ones that I wish for us to try out together. If that's okay with you."

Earl closed his mouth. There was so much he wanted to say to Cecil. He wanted to tell the A.I. everything, yet he couldn't find his voice. He wanted to tell him about the emptiness he felt. About how Cecil's words were the only thing that filled it. What he attempted to do in the face of living a life without Cecil. But none of that was important as what Cecil just said.

"I, I love you too, Cecil."

Cecil kissed Earl's hipbone. There were no more words said that night. Perhaps a few names were shouted, and a few whimpered moans here and there. But nothing more important that the ones spoken within the white sphere.

***

_**HE'S HERE!** _

Earl risked taking his eyes off the stove to look up at the violet sphere hanging above the sink. The reactions from the other cooks bustling through the cafeteria's kitchen told him that this wasn't a private message. He honestly didn't know if that made it better or worse. He removed the skillet off of the heat and took a deep breath. Whatever Cecil was going to say it was not going to be pleasant.

_Night Crew of the Vale Colony! I am happy to announce that Carlos, yes, Dr. Carlos Marron is in the main laboratory at this very moment! Mere words cannot describe the man who stands before me, but since it is my duty to bring you the news I shall begin the eternal struggle against my own limited vocabulary!_

Earl always knew this day would come. Everything had been going far too well for him for almost two decades now. A dream job, a loving husband, and even proper treatment for his depression. For fifteen years now life had been borderline perfect. Sure, there were ups and downs. Good days and bad days. But at the end he would hold Cecil in his arms and know that everything would be alright.

Until the resume showed up.

**_How do I even begin to describe the man standing before me? Do I start at his crooked nose, broken by some cruel unseen hand? Do I speak of his dark skin, calloused and scarred? What of his hair, soft and curled with a slight peppering of grey? Even his small belly is a work of art, though a certain doctor did note it on Carlos' medical records as a problem! Clearly Dr. Carlsberg doesn't recognize perfection when he sees it._ **

The Night Crew getting a new recruit wasn't anything unusual. They would show up, take a look around, and leave on the first shuttle out. Every now and then one would actually stay and become another mouth for Earl to cook for. And by all accounts there should have been nothing special about this one, either. Just a normal A.I. expert who would do nothing but run tests on Cecil while they removed his wires. Earl had no idea what was so special about the man when Cecil showed him the resume. Earl still wasn't sure what was so special about the guy.

In fact, there was only one thing Earl knew about this man at all: that Cecil was already in love with him.

**_Dr. Carlos Marron's very invasive background check only brings up a series of parking tickets from fifteen or so odd years ago. His resume is outstanding with only a single empty spot which I'm sure can be easily explained. When Josie said she found the best A.I. specialist for me I had no idea how literal she was! A computer scientist such as this cannot have happened by chance! But you and I know that all genetic manipulation was outlawed decades ago and all experts in the field quietly silenced in the night. Assuming whoever silenced them simply didn't claim the experts for their own nefarious purposes._ **

Earl could feel the eyes of the other cooks on the back of his neck. He couldn't quiet make out what they were whispering to each other, but he could fill in the gaps. Almost every day he was asked about his relationship with Cecil. How could he deal with someone who could see everywhere but was trapped at the same time? How he could fall in love with something that wasn't human? How exactly did that work and could he describe it in great detail because LeShawn had money riding on it? And as their boss he always answered them as truthfully as possible. Though not as detailed as LeShawn would have liked. There were things that he only kept between him and Cecil.

But now that Cecil was crooning about some random man when his husband could clearly hear about it? There were going to be far more prying questions. Ones that he didn't want to deal with. Earl moved the risotto back onto the burner and resumed cooking. He was going to finish the preparations for dinner like the proper chef he was. Then he was going to sit down with his husband and have a very long and painful talk about boundaries. Again. Maybe if all went well he wouldn't end up curled up somewhere with a bottle of cooking sherry. Again. With a renewed sense of determination, Earl returned to his cooking only to realize that Cecil was still talking.

_**...He told me of the beauty of the Sun's rays peaking over the top of the mountain, and of the beaches he had stood upon where the water stretches out beyond comprehension. My darling husband whispers to me these sights that I will never behold with my own eyes, hoping to express even a fraction of their beauty. There is so much I have not seen Night Crew. So much I will never see. But as Earl traces the veins of my body with his fingers he shows me the worlds beyond with only the sound of his voice. He is a sommelier of all that is wondrous in this vast universe.** _

Earl stared up at the violet orb above the sink. His heart fluttered at the sound of Cecil's voice. All at once he felt born again and rotten for even doubting his husband. Still, maybe a small talk wouldn't hurt. But this would be one between touches and sweet kisses, not screamed across tables. Yes! As soon as dinner was done he was going to run to his husband. His dear Cecil, his wonderful-

_**Which is why I wish he was here right now. Because I am sure he would have a few poetic words to say about Dr. Carlos Marron's cute butt.** _

That was when Earl's memory got a bit iffy. He recalled the pan of risotto meeting an unfortunate end against the far wall of the kitchen. His apron had been torn off at some point and thrown into the face of a line cook. Even the journey from the cafeteria to the main laboratory was a complete blur filled with only his pounding heart and Cecil's voice.

_**Oh Good! It seems that my Earl is coming to see Carlos for himself! Earl love, on the way could you fetch a guest clip for Carlos? You know, the type that he has...on...his ear.** _

There was a sharp click followed by silence. By the time Earl arrived to the doors of the main lab the muzak had returned, perhaps a bit lower and more subdued than normal. Earl paused before the doors, taking a moment to compose himself. He wasn't going to scream at Cecil. They were going to have a calm, adult conversation. And then he was going to murder this Carlos with his own two hands. The door to the lab opened and he saw his husband floating in the air right above the unknown figure. Earl made it all of the way to the middle before the man turned to smile at him.

"H-Hello! You're Mr. Harlan, correct?"

Earl stopped. "Yes?"

"It's nice to meet you. My name is Dr. Carlos Marron. But please, call me Carlos." Carlos took Earl's hand and gave it a firm shake. "Well, there's no nice way to say this, but I'm here you study your husband. That sounds a bit weird to say,doesn't it? It's not like being studied is a bad thing! And I was also hoping if I could study you as well. Er. Since robot-human relationships are sort of rare. If that's okay with you! I do have a lot of questions to ask. Preferably in private."

 _ **Maybe over coffee?** _ Cecil sang from high above.

"Yes. No! Maybe?" Earl said, looking from his husband to the scientist.

Carlos finally had the mine to pull his hand away. "So anyway, I'm going to go unpack my things. I hope to speak with you soon, Mr. Harlan."

"Earl."

"Earl." Carlos smiled once more before hurrying out. The doors slammed shut behind him, leaving the married couple alone in the lab. Earl was vaguely aware of Cecil sinking down to his side.

_**Well?** _

Earl wrapped an arm around Cecil's waist. His husband did exaggerate Carlos' details a little bit. For one, the man's hair wasn't that nice. Not to mention he probably could stand to lose a few pounds. But the one thing Cecil did get one hundred percent correct was Carlos' smile.

"He's perfect." Earl said, unsure about the flutter in his heart.

_**Told you.** _

***

Routine, Earl thought, was a blessing.

Every day went along the same path. He would wake up early in the evening, right as the sun was setting, and do his best to escape from his still-charging husband's loving grasp. After a brief struggle, he'd do what Cecil had dubbed 'boring and slightly gross human stuff' before heading down to the kitchens. Day after day he would help his coworkers wake up with breakfast, recharge at lunch, and wind down with dinner. And when the last of the dishes were tossed into the industrial washer he'd head home to be snatched up by Cecil once more. This was his life. This was everything he had ever wanted and more.

_**I think you'll look better in the button-down. No, in that t-shirt by your left hand. No, no the button-down.** _

Which meant Earl wasn't exactly thrilled about change. Doubly so when his husband was involved.

"Cecil, I don't understand why you're worrying so much," Earl said to the violent sphere above their bed. "I'm just having a cup of coffee with Dr. Marron. Just coffee."

_**Yes, yes. Of course. And if both of you are overtaken by animalistic urges then I request that you do so where I can see it. Oh! How about that nice cotton tunic Dana brought back from Earth? Oh, maybe paired with something soft!** _

"Cecil, I'm, we're," Earl rubbed his eyes. "It's not a date."

_**As you say, love.** _

"It's not a date because I'm already happily married to the love of my life. Which is you, Cecil. Not Dr. Marron."

_**Uh-huh.** _

Earl grabbed a random shirt from their closet. He could live with a polo with the company logo on it. "So you can forget all about your unrealistic fantasy, okay? Now how about an ETA for Dr. Marron's arrival?"

_**Oh, he's been standing outside the front door for like five minutes already.** _

"Cecil!"

_**What? He can wait until you're ready! Ooo, mess up your hair a little bit more. Yes, that looks good. Remember! Where I can see you!** _

With a curse under his breath Earl pulled his shirt on as he walked towards the apartment's front door. He loved Cecil. Really he did. But sometimes he suspected the old A.I. was still iffy on a few human concepts. Which was odd, considering all he did was observe them all day. The concept of privacy was a complete mystery to Cecil. So were some of the more delicate parts of human relationships. Earl knew that Cecil would be fine if he and Carlos, well, not that they would, because-

He wasn't going to think about that now. Not when said scientist needed rescuing.

Earl opened the front door right as Carlos had raised his hand to knock. The scientist looked a bit frazzled: his eyes were empty, his perfect hair messed up, and his skin covered in sweat. All of that was suspicious enough as is, but the puzzle clicked together at the sight of the sparkly pink band-aid on Carlos' neck. Earl let out a deep, protective growl.

"Dr. Carlsberg drugged you."

"Yes?" Carlos asked as he jerked his head back. "I, I think he did? But um, I was having a severe anxiety attack and I do think I'm better now. May I come in? I don't know if I can stand much longer. Sorry."

Earl caught the scientist right as his legs began to give out. He moved his arm around Carlos' waist, helping half-carry half-drag him in. With every step bought another curse out from Earl as he helped the man down onto the couch. To make matters worse every curse brought with it a weak apology from Carlos' lips.

"You don't have to apologize. Rest up, and once the drug's out of your system I'll go punch Dr. Carlsberg." Earl said as he helped Carlos lay down. He grabbed a pillow covered in the least amount of cat hair and moved it under Carlos' head. "You can even pick where I can punch him, and if I use my enhanced arm or not. Sound fair?"

"Enhanced?" Carlos asked, his eyes finally focusing on Earl. "Internal?"

"External. See?" Earl, glad that the spark in the scientist's eye had returned, rolled his sleeve up. Over the years the metal wiring had sunk into his skin, but bits and pieces still shown through the scars. "Military would never spend that much for the grunts."

"Wow." Carlos smiled as he sat up. The normal energy that filled his voice had returned. "You don't see much external enhancements anymore! Not since Duku cornered the market. How far do the cybernetics reach? Is the connection to the nervous system physical or wireless? Have you experienced any phantom pains or alien limb syndrome in connection to the enhancements? I hear that's very common in the older models. Exactly how far does the enhancements go on your body? CECIL mentioned that it was roughly forty percent which is downright amazing on it's own and I'm rambling I'm so sorry we're supposed to be talking about CECIL tonight."

"Carlos, you're drugged to the point where I'm kind of amazed you can talk. I'd take you down to the doctor but, well, might as well wait for the Day Crew to take over first." Earl gave Carlos a pat on the arm. "You keep on rambling as much as you'd like. I'm sure this is a 'you should stay awake' scenario anyway. Let me go fix you up a cup of coffee."

"Still, sorry about my rambling. I've always been fascinated with cybernetic implants of all types."

"Well. Once that stuff is out of your system you can study me as much as you'd like."

Earl and Carlos sat facing each other, Earl's hand still on Carlos' arm.

"Coffee?"

"Coffee!" Earl repeated as he pulled his hand away. "Let me go make some coffee. You sit there and relax."

"Thank you, Earl." Carlos smiled as Earl walked away. "I can see why CECIL is always talking about you."

"Is he now?" Earl walked into the kitchen area. "Funny, he's always talking about you to me."

"Oh." Carlos' voice cracked a little. "Um, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure thing."

"You are aware that CECIL can lie, right?"

Earl paused in front of the coffee maker. He punched in an order for one black coffee and one with extra sugar. Cecil had gone over how Carlos liked his coffee. And what Carlos liked for breakfast. He even ordered up some fresh blueberries from John Peter's farm 'just in case'. "So? Can't robots do that these days? I mean, I hear they got one that can act up on Europa."

"No, no that's not a thing that robots can do." The light in Carlos' voice faded once more. "Well. There's one type that can. And that type is very illegal and very, very dangerous. Very deadly. Could threaten the life of everyone and everything on the colony are you laughing?"

"Sorry." Earl fought down a snort as he picked up the two freshly made cups of coffee. "It's just the idea of Cecil being a threat to anyone. Have you seen him with our cat? Or watching a video of a cat? Or, God forbid, watching a certain video where a small child is dressed up to look exactly like the cat it's sitting next to?" He walked back into the living room and sat down next to Carlos. "Seriously. Cecil's the least dangerous being on the colony. Possibly in the Sol System."

"Earl, he's an Alphabot! He's a dangerously advanced form of robotics that-"

"Cried multiple times during Bambi." Earl pressed the mug of coffee into Carlos' shaking hands before setting his mug down. "Look. You don't have to worry about Cecil. Cecil loves everyone and everything on the inside and outside of the colony. He loves me, he loves you, he loves everyone who will and has sported the closed eye on them. Probably loves people on other planets and colonies, too. You don't have to worry about him, Carlos. If you have any fears or worries come to me okay? I know him better than anyone. Probably better than he knows himself."

"But-"

"Carlos, it's okay." Earl covered Carlos' hands with his own. "You're a scientist, right? That means you're a smart bastard who can face anything. You'll be fine."

"You, yes, you're right." Carlos took a deep breath as he sipped at his coffee. "I'll be fine. A scientist is always fine."

"Calming down?"

"Yes, but that might be from the drugs again."

"It's a start." Earl smiled as the scientist visually relaxed. He wasn't too sure what had set him off, but Carlos seemed to be coming out the other side.

"What about his brother?" Carlos finally asked as he finished his coffee. "I haven't met him yet. KEVIN, correct? Is he like CECIL?"

"Kevin? He's, um, not like Cecil at all."

Carlos leaned in closer. God, even his breath smelled nice. Like lavender. "How so?"

"Remember the Bambi thing I mentioned? Well, Kevin wanted to know why Bambi didn't get horrible, bloody revenge against the hunters. Even took the time to describe what Bambi should do to them." Earl watched Carlos' cheek twitched ever-so-slightly. He removed the coffee cup from Carlos' hands before the scientist could drop it. "How about I get you a nice herbal tea? Help you calm down? And maybe talk more about Cecil?"

"Yes. Please."


	10. Chapter 10

Going through this I'm honestly a little shocked how short this is.

Echo of the Larkspur is over twice as long as the original fic!

And filled with even more lovely angst, fluff, and character development!

Also smooches.

 

u3u

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

Well, that's it.

Goodbye my babies.

You will return even better than before.


	12. One More For The Road

“I got fired. Hmm. About time, I suppose.”  
  
Santos flicked his thumb across the tablet’s screen, lazily letting his eyes scan the news article. Blah blah attempted murder, blah blah resisting arrest, blah blah extremely fast trial, all of it ending with the news that the Vale Colony officially terminated his position. He’s not angry. Or shocked. Or anything. He really hadn’t felt much of anything since he arrived at Pluto’s Penal colony.   
  
Which in its own way was bit of a disappointment. Santos wasn’t sure what a space prison would be like, but he never thought it would be so…bright. Cheery. Covered in plush carpeting. Instead of harsh prison life there were therapy sessions and promises to ‘fix’ whatever made him break the law in the first place. There were so many pictures of smiling prisons on the walls. So much teeth. Kevin would have loved it here.  
  
“You say somethin’, Doc?”   
  
That was Santos’ cellmate, Gold. Santos liked Gold. Gold was a sweet man with a southern accent that could easily rip him in half. The other prisoners were afraid of Gold, which meant that as long as Santos stuck by him he was safe. Which was why Santos was sitting next to him at the card table in the large common area all the cells were connected to. He was safe there. And it was a bit entertaining to watch Gold play against his three, also imprisoned, brothers. The way they all cheated at once was truly a sight to behold.   
  
“My position at the Vale Colony has been terminated.” Santos said as he glanced up from the tablet. If he read marks on the back of the poker cards right, then everyone at the table had two aces each. “Not surprising, considering the reason I was there no longer exists.”  
  
Kevin. He forced the memory back into the depths of his mind. Kevin shouldn’t be thought about during the day. Not when there were other people around.   
  
“Vale Colony?” Said Gold’s brother Grey. A dour man who was more slouch than human. “Why does that sound familiar?”  
  
“Because that’s where Violet works. I believe he is part of the custodial staff.” Said Blue, tapping his free hand fast against the table.   
  
“TRAITOROUS FIEND!” Green shouted as he punched the table, causing a few of the robotic security guards to look their way.   
  
“Now now, keep your jets cooled, Green.” Gold said as he looked over at Santos’ screen. “But that is where old Violet is these days. Can I see this?”   
  
Before Santos could reply Gold grabbed the prison-safe toddler-level tablet and began tapping away. Santos tried to lean over to see what Gold was doing, but the much larger man was determined to play keep-away. Finally Gold let out a roar of a laugh. “Ha! I knew you sounded familiar when you first showed up! Violet mentioned you a few times in his emails.”  
  
“Why was he, wait, how are you getting emails-”  
  
“Don’t worry that pretty little face of yours about it.” Gold said with a wink. “Even if he did put us in the slammer he’s still our brother. And that means he likes to keep us up to date with everything going on.”  
  
“How our mother is doing-” Said Blue.  
  
“How the mayor we tried to kill is still alive-” Mumbled Grey.  
  
“AND THE JUICY GOSSIP HAPPENING AT HIS JOB! APPARENTLY THE HEAD CUSTODIANS OF THE DAY AND NIGHT CREW HAVE FINALLY KNOCKED BOOTS!” Was obviously Green.   
  
“Look, he even forwards us the company newsletter so we know who he’s talking about.” Gold turned the tablet back to Santos, showing him the screen. It was one of Leanna’s newsletters, which just as Santos recalled still had the tagline of ‘Read This Or Else’. At a glance it seemed like nothing else had changed since he left. Same boring news, same puzzles, same announcements-  
  
“Wait. Give me that.” Santos tugged the tablet away from Gold and scrolled down. There was an announcement important enough to warrant Leanna to use italics, bold, and underline. A wedding announcement.   
  
Carlos and Cecil’s wedding.   
  
Carlos, in an ill fitting tux, hugging the robotic Cecil and grinning like an idiot. Cecil didn’t have his helmet on, but instead wore a crown of flowers on his head. The robot was obviously laughing, his glass eyes filled with more emotions than anything synthetic had the right. But that wasn’t what caught Santos’ attention. What caught his attention was the slightly blurred figure in the background behind the newlyweds. A golden figure with black voids for eyes and a smile Santos could see despite the blur.   
  
“Kevin.”  
  
Santos hadn’t noticed that the poker tablet went silent. Or that the four brothers were looking at him. He probably wouldn’t have noticed if Green head started yet another fire. He felt a slight pressure on his shoulder from Gold’s strong hand.  
  
“Ain’t Kevin your old boyfriend? The one that’s, um, dead?”  
  
“He is. He was. He is.” Santos scrolled through the wedding photos. The brothers leaned over to look at the screen as well. He found another photo of Kevin, this time dancing during the reception. His Kevin, his sunshine, the one he saw dead and empty was dancing and smiling and alive his sweet Kevin was alive Kevin was-  
  
Dancing with Eileen.   
  
Santos hadn’t felt any real emotions since he arrived.   
  
He _burned_.  
  
“Doc?” Gold nudged him in the side. “You okay?”  
  
“I.” Santos placed the tablet down on the table. “Am fine.”  
  
“You uh, sure?” Grey said and seemed to instantly regret it.  
  
“It would be perfectly understandable if you need a moment.” Blue said.   
  
“PERHAPS YOU WISH TO SPEAK ABOUT TO ONE OF THE THERAPISTS ON STAFF?”  
  
Santos neatly folded his hands on the table and took a deep, relaxing breath. It took him only a second to figure out what he had to do. That was his specialty, after all. If something was broken you had to fix it. If something was going to cause a problem you had to stop it. That’s why he did what he did. That was why he was in prison. He looked up at the four brothers and gave them a polite smile.  
  
“You’re smiling.” Gold noted. “You have a plan.”  
  
“I do. I am going to be a model prisoner. I will do absolutely everything I am told. I will go to my therapy sessions, I will work hard, and I will become a shining beacon of light on this God forsaken desert planet. And when I’m up for parole in three to four years I will thank the prison for helping me change. How I’m a new man and how much I deeply, deeply regret my actions. If that does not work I will try again and again or until my sentence is up. And then?”  
  
Santos smiled hard enough to show all of his teeth.  
  
“Then I will pay the Vale Colony a visit. I do have a promise I intend to keep.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Please see [My Tumblr](http://arachnescurse.tumblr.com/post/148519005156/hey-wheres-welcome-to-cyber-vale) for more information about What Happened to Cyber Vale!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Jasmine Protocols](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1486489) by [Bouzingo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bouzingo/pseuds/Bouzingo)




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